Fast microwave-assisted synthesis of Nb-doped Li4Ti5O12 for high-rate lithium-ion batteries

Nb-doped Li4Ti5O12 (LTO) has been successfully prepared by a fast and economical microwave-assisted solid-state reaction process. The microwave system can significantly shorten the synthesis time to minutes and yield uniform Nb-doped LTO nanocrystals. Results show that the electrode of Nb-doped LTO prepared by microwave irradiation exhibits enhanced electrochemical properties in comparison to the LTO (T) powder prepared by the traditional solid-state reaction. In particular, the Nb-doped LTO electrode with the Nb-containing content of x = 0.03 exhibits the best electrochemical performances. Discharge capacities of 174.7, 157.1, 141.7, and 130.2 mAh g−1 after 200 cycles are achieved at the charge–discharge rates of 1, 5, 10, and 20 C, respectively. This work provides an effective way for the fast and mass production of Li4Ti5O12-based anode materials with superior rate performance.