Melt spinning was used to prepare Al(75-X)Si(25)Cu(X) (X=1, 4, 7, 10 mol%) alloy anode materials for lithium-ion batteries. A metastable supersaturated solid solution of Si and Cu in fcc-Al, alpha-Si and Al(2)Cu co-existed in the alloys. Nano-scaled alpha-Al grains, as the matrix, formed in the as-quenched ribbons. The Al(74)Si(25)Cu(1) and Al(71)Si(25)Cu(4) anodes exhibited initial discharge specific capacities of 1539 mAh g(-1), 1324 mAh g(-1) and reversible capacities above 472 mAh g(-1), 508 mAh g(-1) at the 20th cycle, respectively. The specific capacities reduced as the increase of the Cu content. AlLi intermetallic compound was detected in the lithiated alloys. It is concluded that the lithiation mechanism of the Al-Si-based alloys can be affected by the third component. The structural evolution and volume variation can be mitigated due to the formation of non-equilibrium state and the co-existence of nano-scaled alpha-Al, alpha-Si, and Al(2)Cu for the present alloys. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.