Effect of Graphene Modified Cu Current Collector on the Performance of Li4Ti5O12Anode for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Interface design between current collector and electroactive materials plays a key role in the electrochemical process for lithium-ion batteries. Here, a thin graphene film has been successfully synthesized on the surface of Cu current collector by a large-scale low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) process. The modified Cu foil was used as a current collector to support spinel Li4Ti5O12 anode directly. Electrochemical test results demonstrated that graphene coating Cu foil could effectively improve overall Li storage performance of Li4Ti5O12 anode. Especially under high current rate (e.g., 10 C), the Li4Ti5O12 electrode using modified current collector maintained a favorable capacity, which is 32% higher than that electrode using bare current collector. In addition, cycling performance has been improved using the new type current collector. The enhanced performance can be attributed to the reduced internal resistance and improved charge transfer kinetics of graphene film by increasing electron collection and decreasing lithium ion interfacial diffusion. Furthermore, the graphene film adhered on the Cu foil surface could act as an effective protective film to avoid oxidization, which can effectively improve chemical stability of Cu current collector.