Structural And Electrochemical Study On Li(Li(1/3)Ti(5/3))O(4) Anode Material For Lithium Ion Batteries

Chemical and electrochemical studies have shown that various titanium oxides can incorporate lithium in different ratios. Other compounds with a spinel-type structure and corresponding to the spinel oxides LiTi(2)O(4) and Li(4)Ti(5)O(12) have been evaluated in rechargeable lithium cells with promising features. The spinel Li[Li(1/3)Ti(5/3)]O(4) [1-5] compound is a very appealing electrode material for lithium ion batteries. The lithium insertion-deinsertion process occurs with a minimal variation of the cubic unit cell and this assures high stability which may reflect into long cyclability. In addition, the diffusion coefficient of lithium is of the order of 10(-8) cm(2)s(-1) [5] and this suggests fast kinetics which may reflect in high power capabilities. In this work we report a study on the kinetics and the structural properties of the Li[Li(1/3)Ti(5/3)]O(4) intercalation electrode carried out by: cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic cycling and in-situ X-ray diffraction. The electrochemical characterization shows that the Li[Li(1/3)Ti(5/3)]O(4) electrode cycles around 1.56 V vs. Li with a capacity of the order of 130 mAhg(-1) which approaches the maximum value of 175 mAhg(-1) corresponding to the insertion of 1 equivalent per formula unit. The delivered capacity remains constant for hundred cycles confirming the stability of the host structure upon the repeated Li insertion-deinsertion process. This high structural stability has been confirmed by in situ Energy Dispersion X-ray analysis.