Ultra-long life core-shell structure Li4Ti5O12/C nanocomposite anode materials for lithium ion batteries.

Abstract The Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 /C nanocomposite was prepared via a hydrothermal method following by annealing treatment at 700 °C for 6 h. In this method, cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) was applied as structure directing agent to synthesize Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 nanoparticles with narrow size distribution and as a carbon source to enhance the electronic conductivity of Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 nanoparticles. The resulting Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 /C nanocomposite exhibits a core-shell structure and is consisted of irregular aggregated nanoparticles with a size of approximately 90 nm. When used as anode materials for lithium ion batteries, the obtained Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 /C nanocomposites display an excellent discharge capacity of 160.6 mAh/g at 0.5 C after 100 cycles. And even after 1000 cycles at 20 C, the discharge capacity could still maintain 106.8 mAh/g with a capacity loss of only 0.004% per cycle. Highlights • Core-shell structure Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 /C nanocomposite is prepared by hydrothermal method. • The CTAB plays an important role in determining the morphology of Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 /C. • Compared to bare Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 , core-shell Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 /C has superior cycle stability. • Even after 1000 cycles at 20 C, the discharge capacity can still retain 106.5 mAh/g. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]