Spray-drying assisted synthesis of a Li4Ti5O12/C composite for high rate performance lithium ion batteries

Spinel crystalline lithium titanium oxide (Li4Ti5O12 or LTO) has gained attention as a possible alternative material to graphite for use as anodes in lithium-ion rechargeable batteries due to its low volume expansion and dendrite-free long-term stability. However, the rate capability of LTO is limited by its low electronic conductivity, which results in a large polarization resistance between electrodes. In this study, we demonstrate a spray-drying-assisted carbon coating approach to synthesize LTO/C composites for enhanced lithium-insertion capacity and facilitated charge-discharge reaction kinetics. The thin carbon layer of LTO/C composite contributes to suppressing particle growth by forming passivating carbon layers. In addition to the decrease in particle size for short lithium-diffusion pathways, the highly conductive carbon layers reduce the interfacial resistance between the electrode and electrolyte by enhanced electrical conductivity. The electrochemical performances of the spray-drying-prepared LTO/C composite such as the specific capacity, cycle and rate capabilities, and impedance are compared with pristine LTO and carbon-coated LTO synthesized without spray-drying. The LTO/C prepared from glucose exhibits a 11.15% enhancement in rate characteristics of pristine LTO at 0.5 C after 100 cycles. These results indicate that the carbon coating layer promotes charge transfer and ion diffusion as well as provides a buffering effect for improved rate and cyclic capabilities.