PEDOT coated Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ nanorods: Soft chemistry approach synthesis and their lithium storage properties

Spinel Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ nanorods coated with poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) layer as an anode material for lithium ions battery were synthesized by a facile soft chemistry approach. The highly conductive and uniform PEDOT layer coated on the surface of Li ₄Ti₅O₁₂ nanorods significantly improves the electrochemical performance of the composite, which exhibits higher reversible capacity and better rate capability compared with the pure Li₄Ti ₅O₁₂ and Li₄Ti₅O₁₂/C composite. The reversible capacity of Li₄Ti₅O ₁₂/PEDOT nanorods can be up to 171.5 mA h g^-1 at the rate of 0.2 C. And a capacity of 168.7 mA h g^-1 was retained with only 0.5% capacity loss after 100 charge-discharge cycles at the rate of 1 C, which confirms the good cycling behavior of Li₄Ti₅O ₁₂/PEDOT nanorods. The superior electrochemical performance of the Li₄Ti₅O₁₂/PEDOT nanorods could be attributed to the one-dimensional (1D) morphology and uniform conducting polymer layer, which shortens the lithium-ion diffusion path and improves the electrical conductivity of Li₄Ti₅O₁₂.