An improved solid-state reaction to synthesize Zr-doped Li4Ti5O12 anode material and its application in LiMn2O4/Li4Ti5O12 full-cell

Abstract Li 4 Ti 5− x Zr x O 12 ( x =0, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20) anode materials with uniform particle size distribution have been synthesized by an improved solid-state reaction. The mixture of TiO 2 , ZrO 2 , Li 2 CO 3 and phenolic resin is activated by high energy ball milling at room temperature first. The XRD analyses reveal that appropriate amount of Zr 4+ can enter into the lattice structure of Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 which leads to slightly increased lattice parameters. The electrochemical performance is evaluated by galvanostatic charge/discharge tests and the results demonstrate that minute amount of Zr 4+ ( x =0.05) can enhance the rate capability of Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 significantly, although the cycling performance remains the same. Specifically, Li 4 Ti 4.95 Zr 0.05 O 12 can still delivers 112.8 mAh g −1 at 10 C rates, while it is 95.6 mAh g −1 for the undoped sample. In addition, EIS results prove that the charge transfer resistance of Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 is reduced by employing Zr 4+ as dopant. Furthermore, the LiMn 2 O 4 /Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 full-cell also exhibits excellent electrochemical performance.