Abstract: Graphene,a single layer new carbon material,has the unique two dimensional structure and excellent electrical, mechanical properties and chemical stability. Moreover,the intrinsic sp² structure of graphene makes it easily to combine with other materials to form the composites. The graphene based electrode materials with special morphology and microstructure would effectively improve the electrochemical performances,and have the potential applications in lithium ion battery. The research on the graphene and graphene based composites as the electrode materials in lithium ion battery is sammarized,mainly focusing on the synthesis,electrical properties and fundamental principles. Our review will provide the corresponding evidences for the applications of electrode materials for lithium ion battery.