Sea urchin-like Li4Ti5O12 nanostructure as a Li-Ion battery anode with high energy density and improved ionic transport

Highlights: • A novel Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ nanostructure was synthesized using F-127 as a surfactant. • F-LTO exhibited a sea urchin-like nanostructure with a high surface area. • F-LTO facilitated an efficient contact between the electrode and electrolyte. • F-LTO showed low polarization and improved kinetic properties. • F-LTO exhibited the high rate cycling properties in LIBs. Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ (LTO) with a spinel structure is attractive as a promising anode for lithium-ion batteries due to a high charge/discharge voltage versus Li/Li⁺ and almost no volumetric expansion with improved cycle performance. In this study, a sea urchin-like nanostructured LTO (F-LTO) was prepared in the presence of F-127 as a surfactant. The morphology and structure of the samples were confirmed using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) method. To investigate the electrochemical properties of the samples, charging/discharging analysis was performed for 1000 cycles at a high current density. F-LTO showed an improved capacity retention rate and a high average capacity compared to the LTO sample prepared in the absence of F-127. It was found that, when using the high-rate performance analysis at different charging/discharging current densities, the intercalation of Li⁺ ion to an electrode might be a crucial factor to reduce capacity and energy density. Due to its porous nanostructure with high specific area, F-LTO showed low polarization and improved kinetic properties, resulting in enhanced LIB performance including high energy density and cycling properties.