Self-supported hierarchical porous Li4Ti5O12/carbon arrays for boosted lithium ion storage

The development of fast rechargeable lithium ion batteries (LIBs) is highly dependent on the innovation of advanced high-power electrode materials. In this work, for the first time, we report a sacrificial NiO arrays template method for controllable synthesis of self-supported hierarchical porous Li4Ti5O12/C (LTO/C) nanoflakes arrays, for use as fast rechargeable anodes for LIBs. The ultrathin (2-3 nm) carbon layer was uniformly coated on the LTO forming arrays architecture. The hierarchical porous LTO/C nanoflakes consisted of primary cross-linked nanoparticles of 50-100 nm and showed large porosity. Because of the enhanced electrical conductivity and accelerated ion transfer channels, the well-designed binderfree porous LTO/C nanoflakes arrays exhibited notable high-rate lithium ion storage performance with smaller polarization, better electrochemical reactivity, higher specific capacity (157 mAh g(-1) at the current density of 20C) and improved long-term cycling life (96.2% after 6000 cycles at 20 C), superior to the unmodified porous LTO arrays counterpart (126 mAh g(-1) at 20C and 88.0% after 6000 cycles at 20 C). Our work provides a new template for the construction of high-performance high-rate electrodes for electrochemical energy storage. (C) 2020 Science Press and Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by ELSEVIER B.V. and Science Press. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The study presents a sacrificial NiO arrays template method for controllable synthesis of self-supported hierarchical porous Li4Ti5O12/C nanoflakes arrays, serving as fast rechargeable anodes for LIBs. The well-designed binder-free porous LTO/C nanoflakes arrays exhibit notable high-rate lithium ion storage performance due to enhanced electrical conductivity and accelerated ion transfer channels.