Li4Ti5O12 nanowires intertwined with carbon nanotubes for ultra-long life and conductive additive-free anodes of lithium-ion batteries

Herein, a novel Li4Ti5O12@carbon nanotubes (CNT) composite, composed of Li4Ti5O12 nanowires intertwined with CNT (4 wt%), is synthesized by a simple method and studied as conductive additive-free anodes of lithiumion batteries (LIBs). Results indicate that the Li4Ti5O12@CNT shows impressive electrochemical performances, such as high initial coulombic efficiency (ICE, similar to 94%), acceptable capacity (147.6 mAh g(-1)) and ultra-long life (3000 cycles). The facile preparation process and the impressive electrochemical performance make Li4Ti5O12@CNT anode promising in LIB application.