The increase in energy density and power density requirements for lithium-ion secondary cells for commercial applications has led to a search for higher capacity electrode materials than those available today. Silicon would seem to be a possible alternative for the graphite or carbon anode because its intercalation capacity is the highest known. However, the large capacity fade observed during initial cycling has prevented the silicon anode from being commercialized. Here we present a review of methodologies adopted for reducing the capacity fade observed in silicon-based anodes, discuss the challenges that remain in using silicon and silicon-based anodes, and propose possible approaches for overcoming them. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.