Sonochemical Synthesis of Nanostructured Spinel Li4Ti5O12 Negative Insertion Material for Li-ion and Na-ion Batteries.

Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 spinel is a popular zero-strain negative insertion material capable of acting as a host for both Li + and Na + ions. For efficient electrochemical activity, it is key to produce Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 spinel in nanoscale morphology with reduced diffusion barrier. Here, we report (ultrasonic) sonochemical synthesis as a novel energy-miser route to achieve spherical 100–150 nm spinel particles with restricted annealing for just 2 h. Synchrotron diffraction analysis reveals the formation of phase-pure spinel product. The resulting Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 yields desirable (de)intercalation of Li + (at 1.55 V) and Na + (at 0.9 V) ions with excellent electrochemical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]