Titanium Dioxide Anode Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have been widely used in portable electronic devices and electric vehicles owing to their characteristics of high energy density, safety, and long lifetime. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a promising anode material for LIBs due to the advantages of non-toxicity, low cost, abundant sources, and stable chemical structure. However, intrinsic low electronic conductivity and poor lithium-ion (Li+) diffusion have restricted its development for practical applications. In this review, we firstly systematically summarize the lithium storage mechanisms of three common TiO2 polymorphs, that is, a two-phase solid solution of anatase TiO2, intrinsic pseudo-capacitance of TiO2 ( B), and potential-dependent phase transition of rutile TiO2. Furthermore, to enhance the electron conduction and Li+ diffusion, the research progress of nanostructure dimensional tailoring, intrinsic / extrinsic electronic structure manipulation (elemental doping, Ti3+ self-doping, and modification of highly conductive materials), and hetero-phase junction optimization are discussed in detail. Finally, the development trend and application prospect of TiO2 anode materials for LIBs and beyond- LIBs are proposed.