Gold coating for a high performance Li4Ti5O12 nanorod aggregates anode in lithium-ion batteries

An effective strategy by combination of alcoholysis, solid-state reaction and coating techniques is employed to prepare Au@Li4Ti5O12 nanorod aggregates as anode materials for Li-ion batteries. The lithium diffusion coefficient of resulting Au@Li4Ti5O12 is 7.32 x 10(-10) cm(2) s(-1), and its stable reversible capacity is 169 mAh g(-1), with the retention of 91.1% after 100 cycles at 5 C. Moreover, it also exhibits excellent rate-capability performance. The superior cycling performance can be attributed to the unique nanorod characteristics, structural stability, and the improved ionic and electronic conduction in the electrode due to the uniform nano coating of Au. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.