Compositing SrLi ₂ Ti ₆ O ₁₄ with chemical deposited silver for enhancing lithium ion storage

One of the main issues for titanium-based anode materials is their poor electronic conductivity and this issue can affect their rate performance. For conquering this drawback, many approaches have been proposed. In this report, SrLi ₂ Ti ₆ O ₁₄ as one of the titanium-based anode materials is prepared via a facile sol–gel method and subsequently it has been composited with silver to elevate its electronic conductivity. Upon the analysis of electrochemical results, the SrLi ₂ Ti ₆ O ₁₄ /Ag composite with 6 wt% Ag can deliver an initial capacity of 164.9 mAh g ⁻¹ . After 50 cycles, the sample can still retain 154.6 mAh g ⁻¹ with 93.8% retention of the first cycle. Meanwhile, the SrLi ₂ Ti ₆ O ₁₄ /Ag composite with 6 wt% Ag can also exhibit good rate capacities, even at 300 mA g ⁻¹ , its capacity can be firmly kept at 140.0 mAh g ⁻¹ . In addition, in situ X-ray diffraction characterization shows the structural reversibility of the SrLi ₂ Ti ₆ O ₁₄ /Ag composite with 6 wt% Ag during cycling. All the electrochemical results indicate that the SrLi ₂ Ti ₆ O ₁₄ /Ag composite with 6 wt% Ag can be a promising anode material for lithium ion batteries.