Structural and Electrochemical Evaluations of Li4Ti5O12 Composite Anodes with an Organic Ionic Plastic Crystal Solid Electrolyte
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 (LTO) is a commercialized anode active material for battery applications. Using LTO in solid-state batteries (SSBs) is expected to overcome some issues associated with anode active materials working at a low electrode potential, such as graphite and Si. Li+-containing organic ionic plastic crystals (OIPCs) reportedly have issues with these materials, including low Coulombic efficiency and achievable capacity relative to the theoretical value. This study explored the LTO−OIPC composite anode and evaluated its surface structure and electrochemical performance. It was found that the OIPC electrolyte (with carbon black) connects LTO secondary particles to facilitate ion/electron conduction. Although the capacity of the composite anode increased gradually up to ca. 15 cycles, it was close to the theoretical value (175 mAh/g) after stabilization. While applying a vacuum-drying temperature that is higher than the melting point of the Li+-containing OIPC (>140 °C) to the composite anode adversely affected initial battery performance, it provided multiple benefits thereafter, including more efficient charge transfer and higher discharge capacity than the one vacuum-dried at 50 °C. The best-performing cell contained the 150-°C-dried one, cycled at 1C for 400 cycles. The results provide insights into further development of OIPC-containing electrodes for SSBs.
Source: ChemRxiv
Authors: Hiroyuki Ueda, Zak Quattrocchi, Daheng Ou
Institution: Deakin University
Language: English
Subfield: Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7220901685