High Capacity and Fast Charge‐Discharge Li4Ti5O12 Nanoflakes/TiO2 Nanotubes Composite Anode Material for Lithium Ion Batteries

Li4Ti5O12 nanoflakes (LTO‐NF) and TiO2 nanotubes (TNT) are synthesized and mechanically mixed to form a composite anode material with high specific capacitance, fast charge‐discharge capability, and long cycle life for lithium ion batteries. The LTO‐NF have a thin morphology and smaller grain size which increases grain boundaries for increased capacitance and faster lithiation and delithiation. TNT are included as part of the composite to help increase specific capacitance as well as facilitate ion and electron transport for fast charge transfer kinetics. To analyze the morphological and chemical characteristics of the composite, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and Braun‐Emmett‐Teller method are conducted. The charge‐discharge tests show that the composite LTO‐NF/TNT has increased specific capacitance and cycling performance with a 98.3 % capacitance retention and specific capacitance of 160 mAh g−1 after 500 cycles at 5 C, which translates to higher energy and power density for various energy storage applications including automotive use. High power battery! The LTO nanoflakes/TiO2 nanotubes composite anode is able to fully charge in 12 minutes with minimal loss in capacity over 500 cycles. The high discharge capability of the composite material has potential applications requiring high power such as electric vehicles. The high capacitance of the composite anode enables it to be used with high power density cathode materials.