Investigation of N-doped carbon-coated lithium zinc titanate using chitin as a carbon source for lithium-ion batteries

Nitrogen-doped carbon-coated Li2ZnTi3O8 (NC-LZTO) anode material was fabricated with chitin as a carbon source by precoating process via a facile solid-state reaction method. The effects of nitrogen-doped carbon layer on the crystal structure, surface morphology, and electrochemical performances were studied. The NC-LZTO samples show the significant improvement in rate capability compared with carbon-coated Li2ZnTi3O8 (C-LZTO) sample derived from glucose and naked Li2ZnTi3O8 (LZTO) sample. At the current rates of 0.5, 1, 2, 5, and 10 C, the discharge-specific capacities of the NC-LZTO sample are 275.6, 262.8, 244.8, 217, and 190.6 mAh g−1, respectively. After 200 cycles at 2 C, its capacity retention is 98.7%. The increased electrochemical performance of NC-LZTO can be ascribed to the larger specific surface, smaller particle size, and better electronic conductivity.