Nanosized spinel Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ anode material prepared by gel-polymer method using furfuryl alcohol as polymerizable solvent

Nanosized Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ powders are synthesized by a polymerization-based method using titanium butoxide and lithium nitrate as precursors and furfuryl alcohol as a polymerizable solvent. The prepared samples are characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and Braunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis. The electrochemical performances of these Li₄Ti ₅O₁₂ powders are also studied. The effect of different surfactants including citric acid, polyvinylpyrrolidone, and cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide on the structure and properties is also investigated. It is found that pure spinel phase of Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ is obtained at an annealing temperature of 700 °C or higher. The use of surfactants can improve the powder morphology of nanosized particles with less agglomeration. With suitable annealing temperature and the addition of surfactant, Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ powders with high BET surface area and favorable electrochemical performance can be obtained.