Silicon (Si) is a promising candidate because of the 4200 mAh g −1 theoretical specific capacity based on the alloying reaction mechanism to replace the traditional graphite electrode (~372 mAh g −1). With the development in electrochemistry and material chemistry, conventional graphite-based LIBs widely applied in the industry nowadays are approaching their theoretical energy density. Nevertheless, with the dramatic development of the electric vehicle (EV) industry, LIBs require enhanced energy density to meet the minimum energy density (~800 W h kg −1) requirements of vehicles. From then on, for just less than ten years, LIBs dominated the market with their excellent electrochemical performance. After the Nobel-price-winning rocking-chair lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) were developed and commercialized in the 1980–90s, lithium-based batteries entered a new stage. With the continuous understanding of organic electrolytes and layered compounds, lithium metal secondary batteries have developed rapidly, but the lithium dendrite problem forced the research on the battery to stagnate. Having a small radius of ions, high carrier diffusion coefficient, low density, and high specific capacity, lithium metal soon became an important candidate in battery research. However, their energy density (<100 Wh/kg) cannot fully meet the increasing demand, limiting subsequent development. In the early times of energy storage research, secondary batteries represented by nickel metal hydride and lead acid systems were widely applied. This paper reviews recent advances in ball-milling-based silicon anode materials, provides a material comparison, and discusses how ball milling can provide lithium-ion batteries with greater possibilities at a larger scale. Although the ball-milling process seems straightforward, the procedures and parameters influencing the product have hardly been discussed in research papers compared to the bottom-up ones. This paper reviews the latest development of ball-milling-based silicon anode materials. The top-down ball-milling method is still favored by industrial suppliers because of its simplicity and cost-effectiveness, even with compromised electrochemical performances. While the infamous volume expansion issue can be settled with the bottom-up processes, the complicated protocols and high cost leave a non-neglectable gap between laboratory-scale and mass production. Countless silicon-based materials have been proposed and reported in research articles, mostly synthesized using bottom-up methods. Having a high theoretical capacity density of 4200 mAh g −1, silicon has been highlighted as one of the most promising anode materials for lithium-ion batteries.
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