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

In this paper, Na 2 Li 2 Ti 6 O 14 anode materials are synthesized by solid-state reaction and sol–gel method, respectively. Sol–gel formed Na 2 Li 2 Ti 6 O 14 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, Na 2 Li 2 Ti 6 O 14 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, Na 2 Li 2 Ti 6 O 14 prepared from sol to gel technique will be a promising high-power anode material for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.