Sb doped Li4Ti5O12 hollow spheres with enhanced lithium storage capability

Abstract

In this work, the Sb doped Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ hollow spheres were synthesized by a combination of a hydrothermal method and a solid state reaction. The Sb doped Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ hollow spheres were characterized by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. These indicated that Sb doped Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ hollow spheres were synthesized successfully and Sb ions were uniformly dispersed into the Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ lattice without changing the structure of Li₄Ti₅O₁₂. The electrochemical measurements, including constant current charge–discharge and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, demonstrated that the Sb-doped Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ hollow spheres showed an excellent reversible capacity and remarkable cycling performance, even under conditions of high current densities.