Synthesis and characterization of Sm-doped Li2ZnTi3O8 as anode material for lithium-ion batteries

A b s t r a c t Pristine Li 2 ZnTi 3 O 8 and Li 2 ZnTi 2.97 Sm 0.03 O 8 are prepared by a conventional solid-state reaction method and the XRD , SEM, HRTEM and EDS measurements are employed to investigate the effects of Sm 3+ modifying on the characteristics of Li 2 ZnTi 3 O 8 . The results show that the introduction of a small amount of Sm 3+ does not change the bulk structure of Li 2 ZnTi 3 O 8 but effectively improves its electrochemical performance . After undergoing 500 cycles at 1 A g −1 , a retained specific capacity of 162.7 mAh g −1 is delivered by Li 2 ZnTi 2.97 Sm 0.03 O 8 , which is much higher than 118.1 mAh g −1 of pristine Li 2 ZnTi 3 O 8 . The significantly improved electrochemical performance of Li 2 ZnTi 2.97 Sm 0.03 O 8 can be attributed to the influence of Sm 3+ on the crystal lattice and surface of Li 2 ZnTi 3 O 8 .