Defect-introduced graphene sheets with hole structure as lithium-ion battery anode

•Defect-introduced graphene sheets as an anode for LIBs are prepared.•Defect introducing process involves relatively low temperature and air atmosphere.•Hole structures provide Li insertion pathways.•The prepared anode exhibits enhanced reversible capacity, rate and cycle performance.

Defect-introduced graphene sheets with hole structure were fabricated utilizing a facile and scalable Cobalt catalyzed gasification strategy. The holes unleash the Li insertion potential by providing pathways for Li into the overlaps and wrinkles of graphene sheets. As a consequence, the advanced anode material exhibits first reversible specific capacity as high as 1009 mAh g−1 and can reach 898 mAh g−1, 667 mAh g−1, 453 mAh g−1 at current densities of 300 mA g−1, 500 mA g−1 and 1000 mA g−1, respectively. As far as we know, the defect-introduced graphene sheets are firstly fabricated as anode in lithium-ion batteries.