Fast synthesis of uniform mesoporous titania submicrospheres with high tap densities for high-volumetric performance Li-ion batteries

Abstract

High-tap density electrode materials are greatly desired for Li-ion batteries with high volumetric capacities to fulfill the growing demands of electric vehicles and portable smart devices. TiO2, which is one of the most attractive anode materials, is limited in their application for Li-ion batteries because of its low tap density (usually <1 g cm −3 ) and volumetric capacity. Herein, we report uniform mesoporous TiO2 submicrospheres with a tap density as high as 1.62 g cm −3 as a promising anode material. Even with a high mass loading of 24 mg cm −2 , the TiO2 submicrospheres have impressive volumetric capacities that are more than double those of their counterparts. Moreover, they can be synthesized with 100% yield and within a reaction time of~6 h by optimizing the experimental conditions and formation mechanism, exhibiting potential for large-scale production for industrial applications. Other mesoporous anode materials, i.e., hightap density mesoporous Li4Ti5O12 submicrospheres, are fabricated using the generalized method. We believe that our work provides a significant reference for the industrial production of mesoporous materials for Li-ion batteries with a high volumetric performance.

Free-standing hybrid films comprising of ultra-dispersed titania nanocrystals and hierarchical conductive network for excellent high rate performance of lithium storage

“…In the XRD pattern of anatase TiO2 nanocrystal/CNT film (red line in Fig. 4(a)), the peaks at 2θ values of 25.3°, 37.8°, 48.0°, 53.9°, and 55.1° are observed, which are indexed to the (101), (004), (200), (105), and (211) planes of anatase TiO2 [14][15][16][17][18][19], respectively, confirming the anatase crystal structure (JCPDS card no. 21-1272; space group I41/amd; a0 = b0 = 3.7852 Å, c0 = 9.5139 Å) of the TiO2 nanocrystals.…”

“…On the other hand, TiO2 has advantages including low cost, availability, and environmental friendliness, which can allow the large-scale manufacture of TiO2 anodes for Li-ion batteries. Thus, TiO2 has attracted increasing attention as a promising material for Li-ion batteries [10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23]. The electrochemical performance of TiO2, particularly the high rate capacity, is determined by the chemical diffusivity of Li in TiO2, which mainly depends on two factors: electronic conductivity of TiO2 electrodes and diffusivity of Li ions in TiO2 [24].…”

“…To increase the electronic conductivities of TiO2 electrodes, the composites are typically fabricated by incorporating conductive components such as graphene [9,10,[13][14][15]22], graphitic carbon [16], activated carbon fabric [25], and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) [26]. To increase the diffusivity of Li ions in TiO2, nanostructure engineering is an effective strategy to decrease the diffuse distance of Li ions by designing mesoporous TiO2 with a porous structure [8,19,24,27], TiO2 nanoparticles/nanocrystals [13][14][15]17], and hollow nanostructures [16,18,21,28]. In addition, non-conductive binders are added to combine the active materials and conductive agents in traditional electrodes, which can result in poor contact of these electrode materials with the substrates and decreased electron transport.…”

Mesoporous TiO2 Spheres as Advanced Anodes for Low-Cost, Safe, and High-Areal-Capacity Lithium-Ion Full Batteries

“…On the one hand, TiO 2 is one of the most promising anode materials and has been attracting more and more attention. − It is an abundant source and works at a high operating voltage range of 1–3 V (vs Li + /Li) with suppression of Li plating, granting it low cost and high security. − In addition, TiO 2 also has other merits that include good availability, environmental friendliness, and stable structure with small lattice change (<4%) during Li insertion/extraction. − On the other hand, mesoporous materials are representatives of advanced materials benefiting from their attractive advantages of abundant pores, various pore shapes, high specific areas, and adjustable nanocrystals. − Thus, mesoporous TiO 2 nanostructures are intensively investigated as advanced anode materials and exhibit impressive electrochemical performances. − For example, Caruso et al have fabricated mesoporous yolk–shell anatase TiO 2 /TiO 2 (B) microspheres with high specific surface area and large pore volume. The mesoporous microspheres exhibited high specific reversible capacity, excellent rate performance, and impressive cyclability.…”

Hierarchical Nanostructures of Titanium Dioxide: Synthesis and Applications

“…Titania is a promising material [12,23] as it has high refractive index, biocompatibility and high dielectric constant. It exhibits redox reactions and has excellent optical transmittance in the visible and near IR regions.…”