Lithium ion batteries have been one of the major power supplies for small electronic devices since the last century. However, with the rapid advancement of electronics and the increasing demand for clean sustainable energy, newer lithium ion batteries with higher energy density, higher power density, and better cyclic stability are needed. In addition, newer generations of lithium ion batteries must meet the requirements of low and easy fabrication cost and be free of toxic materials. There have been many novel approaches to gain high energy storage capacities and charge/discharge rates without sacrificing the battery cyclic life. Nanostructured electrodes are seemingly the most promising candidate for future lithium ion batteries. Modification of the electrode surface chemistry and the control of appropriate crystallinity are also reported to improve the electrode intercalation capabilities. The study of appropriately designed nanostructures, interfaces and crystallinity has also promoted and is accompanied with the development of thin film electrodes without the addition of binders and conductive carbon that are typically used in the fabrication of traditional lithium ion battery electrodes, simplifying the electrode fabrication process and enhancing electrode storage density. In this perspective, we summarize and discuss the efforts of fabricating nanostructures, modifying surface chemistry and manipulating crystallinity to achieve enhanced lithium ion intercalation capacities, rate capabilities and cyclic stability, as well as the direct fabrication of binderless film electrodes with desirable nano- and microstructures.
