Anode

The anode is the negative electrode of a battery, where oxidation occurs during discharge; in most commercial lithium-ion cells the anode is made of graphite, which stores lithium ions during charging. Natural graphite is one of the raw materials explicitly named in the due-diligence obligations of Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 because of the social and environmental risks linked to its sourcing. Emerging silicon and lithium-metal anodes aim to raise energy density beyond what graphite allows.