One‐pot hydrothermal synthesis of porous anatase TiO₂ nanotube formed bundles for lithium ion battery anodes

Abstract

Anatase phase of TiO 2 nanomaterial has been deemed a potential anode material for lithium ion battery (LIB) applications because of its remarkable electrochemical properties. However, TiO 2 anodes always suffer from intrinsic poor electrical conductivity and slow ion kinetics, which would restrict their practical usage. To address this issue, efficient control and design of the anatase crystal structure of TiO 2 material with desirable morphology is one of the critical approaches. In this work, a good lithium storage capability of 181 mA hr g À1 at rate of 0.2C, high rate performance of 70 mA hr g À1 at 20C, and excellent cyclability of 117 mA hr g À1 with a capacity retention of 93% at 1C after 100 cycles and 84 mA hr g À1 at 10C after 1,000 cycles are observed in an optimized porous anatase TiO 2 one-dimensional nanotube bundle nanomaterial fabricated through a simple hydrothermal process with post calcination treatment. These excellent electrochemical properties of the product can be ascribed to its anatase crystal phase, 1D nanostructure, and porous framework with a large surface area, which provide it with an efficient electrode/ electrolyte contact area and a faster ion/electron diffusion pathway.