CONDUCTING POLYMER NETWORK/GRAPHENE-PROTECTED NEGATIVE ELECTRODE FOR A LITHIUM-ION BATTERY

Provided is a composite layer of graphene sheets and anode particles being dispersed in a conducting polymer network for a lithium battery anode (negative electrode), the layer comprising a mixture of a conducting polymer network, multiple graphene sheets, and multiple particles of an anode active material, wherein the anode particles have a diameter or thickness from 0.5 nm to 20 μm and occupy from 30% to 98% by weight, the graphene sheets occupy from 0.01% to 25% by weight, and the conducting polymer network occupies from 1% to 30% by weight based on the total mixture weight and wherein the graphene sheets and the conducting polymer network together form dual conducting pathways for both electrons and lithium ions having an electron conductivity from 10S/cm to 10S/cm and lithium ion conductivity from 10to 5.0×10S/cm when measured at room temperature.