Preparation of Ce- and La-Doped Li₄Ti₅O12 Nanosheets and Their Electrochemical Performance in Li Half Cell and Li₄Ti₅O12/LiFePO₄ Full Cell Batteries.

Meng Qin,Yueming Li,Xiao-Jun Lv

doi:10.3390/nano7060150

Abstract

This work reports on the synthesis of rare earth-doped Li4Ti5O12 nanosheets with high electrochemical performance as anode material both in Li half and Li4Ti5O12/LiFePO4 full cell batteries. Through the combination of decreasing the particle size and doping by rare earth atoms (Ce and La), Ce and La doped Li4Ti5O12 nanosheets show the excellent electrochemical performance in terms of high specific capacity, good cycling stability and excellent rate performance in half cells. Notably, the Ce-doped Li4Ti5O12 shows good electrochemical performance as anode in a full cell which LiFePO4 was used as cathode. The superior electrochemical performance can be attributed to doping as well as the nanosized particle, which facilitates transportation of the lithium ion and electron transportation. This research shows that the rare earth doped Li4Ti5O12 nanosheets can be suitable as a high rate performance anode material in lithium-ion batteries.

Highlights

With the development of electric vehicles (EV), it is urgent to develop reliable batteries with high electrochemical performance and high safety, considering that commercial LiCoO2-graphite batteries have potential dangers due to the use of a graphite anode [1]
Spinel Li4Ti5O12 (LTO) as a zero strain material has been regarded as an alternative anode material in Li-ion batteries (LIB)s with ideal safety performance
The key issue for Li4Ti5O12 is its poor intrinsic electronic conductivity (~10−13–10−14 S·cm−1) and low Li+ diffusion kinetics, which can restrict rate performance when LTO is applied in EV [2]

Summary

Introduction

With the development of electric vehicles (EV), it is urgent to develop reliable batteries with high electrochemical performance and high safety, considering that commercial LiCoO2-graphite batteries have potential dangers due to the use of a graphite anode [1]. Spinel Li4Ti5O12 (LTO) as a zero strain material has been regarded as an alternative anode material in Li-ion batteries (LIB)s with ideal safety performance. It features a flat high operation plateau potential (about 1.55 V versus lithium) [2,3], helping to prevent the formation of Li metal at low potential [4,5]. Heteroatom doping of electrode materials has been provided a valid way for enhancing its intrinsic. Heteroatom doping of electrode materials has been provided a valid wNaaynofmoarteerinalhs a20n1c7i,n7g, 1i5t0s intrinsic electronic and ionic conductivity according to previous reports [22o4f–11 27]. LETleOc/tLroiFcheePmOi4ca(Ll FtePs)tsfuslhlocwelelds. that the Ce- and La-doped LTO exhibited superior electrochemical performance as an anode in Li half cells and LTO/LiFePO4 (LFP) full cells

Results and Discussion

Materials

Electrochemical Measurements

Conclusions