Synthesis of porous carbon-coated NaTi 2 (PO 4 ) 3 nanocubes with a high-yield and superior rate properties

Nanosized porous carbon-coated NaTi 2 (PO 4 ) 3 (NTP) particles with a high yield (more than 95%) and superior rate properties are synthesized by a reflux method in ethylene glycol (EG). We report the controllable synthesis of three novel NTP nanocubes. The as-synthesized NTP-EG shows excellent high-rate performances with charge capacities of 99.8 and 96.1 mA h g −1 at 30C and 50C. After 1000 cycles at 5C, the reversible capacity of NTP-EG can still reach 101.7 mA h g −1 with a capacity retention of 94.2%. These superb electrochemical performances can be attributed to both the unique nano-architecture and the suitable carbon layers. Their structures and morphologies are analyzed by X-ray diffraction, scanning/transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and N 2 adsorption/desorption measurements. Such a low-cost, high-yield and environment friendly synthesis strategy may be extended to other electrode materials.