Carbon-coated Li4Ti5O12–TiO2 microspheres as anode materials for lithium ion batteries

Abstract

ABSTRACTWhile spinel Li4Ti5O12 has attracted great attention owing to its excellent cycling stability and safety as anode materials of lithium ion batteries, there is still a challenge to produce high-performance Li4Ti5O12 with a cost-effective and scalable process. Herein, we developed a facile one-pot strategy for scalable synthesis of carbon-coated Li4Ti5O12–TiO2 microspheres. The novel material not only delivered a high capacity of 162.5 mA h g−1 after 100 cycles at 0.5 C but also exhibited excellent rate capability and cycling stability. The capacity of up to 146.6 mA h g−1 was retained after 350 cycles at 5 C, and no obvious capacity reduction was found during cycles. The superior electrochemical performance can be attributed primarily to the uniform carbon layer outside and the high density of grain boundary in the compact microspheres, resulting in enhanced electrical conductivity and more channels for lithium ion insertion/extraction reaction.