Facile synthesis of mesoporous lithium titanate spheres for high rate lithium-ion batteries

Lithium titanate is synthesized from titanium isopropoxide and lithium acetate solution under hydrothermal environment and calcinations. Introducing acidized carbon black during synthesis can produce mesoporous Li4Ti5O12. The crystalline structure and morphological observation of the as-synthesized mesoporous Li4Ti5O12 are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. The mesoporous structure can be directly observed through BEI images of the cross-section sample. Besides, N2 adsorption/desorption isotherm also displays a hysteresis loop, implying the beneficial evidence of mesoporous structure. The pore size distribution of mesoporous lithium titanate evaluated by BJH model is narrow, and the average size of voids is around 4 nm. It is demonstrated that the electrochemical performance is significantly improved by the mesoporous structure. The mesoporous lithium titanate exhibits a stable capacity of 140 mAhg−1 at 0.5 C. Besides, the reversible capacity at 30 C remains over half of that at 0.5 C. The superior C-rate performance is associated with the mesoporous structure, facilitating lithium transportation ability during cycling.

► Mesoporous structure of lithium titanate was successfully fabricated with the incorporation of acidized carbon black during hydrothermal process and then calcinations.
► The incorporation of acidized carbon black as templates did not result in the formation of impurity.
► Mesoporous structure was well demonstrated via SEM images, BEI images and N2 adsorption/desorption isotherm.
► Mesoporous Li4Ti5O12 materials exhibited a narrow pore size distribution, with average pore diameters around 4 nm.
► Mesoporous structure creates a rapid lithium transportation path and facilitates the C-rate capability.