Nano-sized Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ anode material with excellent performance prepared by solid state reaction: The effect of precursor size and morphology

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Nano-sized Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ has been prepared through solid state reaction by using axiolitic TiO₂ as precursor. • The prepared nano-sized Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ anode material shows excellent electrochemical performance. • The utilization of precursor with special morphology and size is one of the useful ways to prepare more active electrode materials. - Abstract: Spinel nano-sized Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ anode material of secondary lithium-ion battery has been successfully prepared by solid state reaction using axiolitic TiO₂ assembled by 10–20 nm nanoparticles and Li₂CO₃ as precursors. The synthesis condition, grain size effect and corresponding electrochemical performance of the special Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ have been studied in comparison with those of the normal Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ originated from commercial TiO₂. We also propose the mechanism that using the nano-scaled TiO₂ with special structure and unexcess Li₂CO₃ as precursors can synthesize pure phase nano-sized Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ at 800 °C through solid state reaction. The prepared nano-sized Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ anode material for Li-ion batteries shows excellent capacity performance with rate capacity of 174.2, 164.0, 157.4, 146.4 and 129.6 mA h g⁻¹ at 0.5, 1, 2, 5 and 10 C, respectively, and capacity retention of 95.1% after 100 cycles at 1 C. In addition, the specific capacity fade for the cell with the different Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ active materials resulted from the increase of internal resistance after 100 cycles is compared