Conductive PEDOT-decorated Li4Ti5O12 as next-generation anode material for electrochemical lithium storage

Spinel Li4Ti5O12 material has been regarded as the next-generation anode for lithium-ion batteries owing to its excellent safety and good structural stability. Nevertheless, the low electrical conductivity and bad Li+-ion diffusion efficiency of pristine Li4Ti5O12 greatly limit its wide applications in electrochemical energy storage. Herein, the nanosized Li4Ti5O12 crystals are prepared via a simple sol-gel method to shorten the diffusion pathway of Li+-ion. Meanwhile, the conductive PEDOT layer is adopted to modify the electrical conductivity of Li4Ti5O12. The PEDOT-coated Li4Ti5O12 composite is successfully prepared by using the in-situ polymerization method. Benefit from the advantages of nanosized Li4Ti5O12 particles and conductive PEDOT coating, the obtained electrode exhibits enhanced electrochemical performances. It can deliver the initial discharge capacities of 169.6 and 125.2 mAh g−1 at 0.1 and 20 C. These results demonstrate that the designed composite is a potential electrode for high-rate electrochemical lithium storage.