Lithium titanate nanoplates embedded with graphene quantum dots as electrode materials for high-rate lithium-ion batteries

Yang Zhao; Shiwei Xu; Kexin Zhou; Tian Tian; Zhi Yang; Yanjie Su; Ying Wang; Yafei Zhang; Nantao Hu

doi:10.1088/1361-6528/ac264b

Lithium titanate nanoplates embedded with graphene quantum dots as electrode materials for high-rate lithium-ion batteries

Nanotechnology. 2021 Sep 29;32(50). doi: 10.1088/1361-6528/ac264b.

Authors

Yang Zhao¹, Shiwei Xu¹, Kexin Zhou¹, Tian Tian¹, Zhi Yang¹, Yanjie Su¹, Ying Wang², Yafei Zhang¹, Nantao Hu¹

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory for Thin Film and Microfabrication Technology of the Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China.
² Center for Advanced Electronic Materials and Devices, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China.

PMID: 34517362
DOI: 10.1088/1361-6528/ac264b

Abstract

Anode materials based on lithium titanate (LTO)/graphene composites are considered as ideal candidates for high-rate lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Considering the blocking effects of graphene nanosheets in electrodes during ion-transfer processes, construction of LTO/graphene composite structures with enhanced electrical and ionic conductivity via facile and scalable techniques is still challenging for high-rate LIB. In this work, structures of anode materials based on LTO nanoplates embedded with graphene quantum dots (GQDs) are demonstrated for high-rate LIB. The hybrids can be facilely prepared viain situintroduction of GQDs during the process LTO preparation, which enables a uniform dispersion of GQDs within LTO. This method is convenient, rapid, and can be easily scaled-up. The introduction of 0.05 wt.% GQDs can greatly enhance the electrochemical performance of the electrodes. The electrodes with 0.05 wt.% GQDs deliver a specific discharge capacity of 185, 181 and 179 mAh g^-1at 5, 10, and 20 C, respectively. The performance enhancement is suggested to be due to the synergistic interactions between LTO and GQDs. The strategy as well as as-designed structures of LTO/GQDs show potentials for application as high-rate anode materials in LIBs application.

Keywords: capability; graphene quantum dots; high rate; lithium titanate; lithium-ion battery.