Abstract:
Li
4Ti
5O
12 spinel has been regarded as one of the ideal anode materials for Li ion batteries and is a good candidate for developing high performance electric automobiles and smart grids for its characteristics of the long electrochemical cycle-life, high-structural stability and power density. Atomic-scale visualization of Li
4Ti
5O
12 spinel upon lithiation is realized using spherical aberration corrected transmission electron microscope (STEM), electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) and first-principles calculations. Upon lithiation, the Li
4Ti
5O
12 spinel transforms into the rock-salt Li
7Ti
5O
12 phase by developing an almost ideal hetero-interface and the Ti ions demonstrate different chemical states on the different sides of the interface. Further observation indicates that the elongation and shrinkage of Ti—O bonds in TiO
6 octahedra (breathing model) results in the fundamental changes of electronic conductivity in lithiated Li
4Ti
5O
12, where the insulating Li
4Ti
5O
12 is transformed into a quasi-conducting Li
7Ti
5O
12 phase. But these changes show limited influence on ionic conductivity. Using atomic-scale EELS analysis, a spontaneous oxidization process of Ti
3+ to Ti
4+ is revealed on the surface of Li
7Ti
5O
12 phase. This spontaneously surficial charge transfer reaction is revealed to be strongly related with the package swelling issue of Li
4Ti
5O
12 battery during cycling. Moreover, a three-phase separation, including the Li
4Ti
5O
12, Li
7Ti
5O
12 and Na
6LiTi
5O
12 phases, is found during Na insertion when Li
4Ti
5O
12 is employed as anode for sodium ion battery. All these important findings provide a rewarding avenue for the structural design and optimization of battery materials and lay a solid foundation for industrial application of Li
4Ti
5O
12 anode.