Rapid synthesis of Li4Ti5O12 as lithium-ion battery anode by reactive flash sintering

In this work spinel Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 (LTO) was successfully synthesized via flash sintering technique at a furnace temperature of 580°C within only 5 min for the first time. Phase evolution, microstructures, and electrochemical properties were investigated and compared with conventionally synthesized LTO. The flash sintered LTO shows good crystallinity, high purity, and small particle size. More importantly, it suggests that the flash sintering process could help inhibit lithium volatilization and control the particle size, which is vital to the improvement of the lithium-ion diffusion process and battery performance. Compared with the conventionally synthesized samples, the flash sintered LTO exhibits higher specific capacities, better cycling stabilities, and rate capabilities. Therefore, flash sintering shows potentials in improving the electrochemical performance of anode materials, and thus suggests an efficient strategy for rapid synthesis of high-performance anode materials for lithium-ion batteries.