Abstract: Graphene is a rapidly rising star in materials science because of its two-dimensional structure, superior properties, and promising applications. Recent progress on graphene-based electrode materials for high performance lithium ion batteries (LIBs) has been highlighted. The relationship between the graphene structure, its electrochemical performance and strategies for tuning its functions are discussed. Graphene-based nanomaterial is believed to be an attractive electrode material in LIBs, particularly for the development of batteries with high-energy density and high-power density.