Structural and electrochemical characteristics of hierarchical Li4Ti5O12 as high-rate anode material for lithium-ion batteries

Highlights: • Hierarchical LTO materials were synthesized by a simple one-pot process. • LTO materials were improved by hierarchical structure design and conductive carbon coating. • The h-LTO materials were improved from dynamic and electrochemical performances. -- Abstract: The use of Li₄Ti₅O₁₂, which is a zero-strain material, as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries is hampered by its low electronic conductivity and low lithium-ion diffusion coefficient. In this study, we design a hierarchically structured Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ material with a conductive carbon coating to improve the material's electrochemical properties. Hexadecyl trimethylammonium bromide is used as a structure-guiding agent and as a carbon source together with glucose. The discharge specific capacities of the obtained materials are 170.37, 167.34, 163.05, 158.03, and 151.49 mA h g⁻¹ at rates of 0.5, 1, 2, 5, and 10 C, respectively. Even at a high rate, namely 25 C, for 500 cycles, a discharge specific capacity of 144.05 mA h g⁻¹ with 96.3% capacity retention is achieved. We believe that hierarchical Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ materials with a carbon coating have potential applications as anode materials for the future development of lithium-ion batteries.