Li₂ZnTi₃O₈/graphene nanocomposite as a high-performance anode material for lithium-ion batteries

An Li₂ZnTi₃O₈/graphene (LZTO/G) anode is successfully synthesized by a two-step reaction. The results show that LZTO particles can be well dispersed into the graphene conductive network. The conductive structure greatly improves the electrochemical performance of LZTO/G. When cycled for 400 cycles, 76.4% of the capacity for the 2nd cycle is maintained at 1 A g^-1. Also, 174.8 and 156.5 mA h g^-1 are still delivered at the 100th cycle for 5 and 6 A g^-1, respectively. The excellent cyclic performance and the large specific capacities at high current densities are due to the good conductive network of the LZTO active particles, large pore volume, small particle size, low charge-transfer resistance and high lithium diffusion coefficient.