Comparative study of Na2Li2Ti6O14 prepared by different methods as advanced anode material for lithium-ion batteries

In this paper, Na2Li2Ti6O14 anode materials are synthesized by solid-state reaction and sol–gel method, respectively. Sol–gel formed Na2Li2Ti6O14 shows smaller particle size (0.05–0.1 μm) than that (0.2–0.4 μm) of samples prepared by solid-state reaction. Electrochemical results show that all the four samples have similar reduction peak at 1.20 V and oxidation peak at 1.35 V with average working potential of 1.28 V. Among all the as-obtained compounds, Na2Li2Ti6O14 synthesized by sol–gel method at 700 °C shows the highest initial charge specific capacity of 106.6 mA h g−1. After 40 cycles, the reversible charge capacity can be maintained at 114.7 mA h g−1. Moreover, this sample shows excellent rate properties with a high reversible charge capacity of 110 mA h g−1 at 160 mA g−1. The improved electrochemical performance is attributed to the proper particle size, high specific surface area and decreased electrochemical resistances. Therefore, Na2Li2Ti6O14 prepared from sol to gel technique will be a promising high-power anode material for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.