“Flower-like” Li4Ti5O12-multiwalled carbon nanotube composite structures with performance as highrate anode-materials for li-ion battery applications and methods of synthesis thereof

A method of fabricating nanocomposite anode material comprising lithium titanate (LTO)-multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWNT) composite structures intended for use in a lithium-ion battery, the method comprising:

• providing multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) having surfaces, onto which functional oxygenated carboxylic acid moieties are arranged;
• generating 3D flower-like, lithium titanate (LTO) microspheres having constituent nanosheets within the flower-like lithium titanate (LTO) microspheres;
• and
• anchoring the acid-functionalized MWNTs onto surfaces of the 3D LTO flower-like LTO microspheres by π-π interaction strategy to realize the nanocomposite anode material;
• wherein the 3D LTO flower-like microspheres are anchored to the acid-functionalized MWNTs by π-π interaction by first dispersing the 3D LTO flower-like microspheres in an ethanolic solution of 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4-MBA) linker molecules.