Anatase TiO2 nanoparticles for lithium-ion batteries

Anatase TiO2 nanoparticles were prepared by a simple sol-gel method at moderate temperature. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy revealed the exclusive presence of anatase TiO2 without impurities such as rutile or brookite TiO2. Thermogravimetric analysis confirmed the formation of TiO2 at about 400 °C. Particle size of about 20 nm observed by transmission electron microscopy matches well with the dimension of crystallites calculated from XRD. The electrochemical tests of the sol-gel-prepared anatase TiO2 show promising results as electrode for lithium-ion batteries with a stable specific capacity of 174 mAh g−1 after 30 cycles at C/10 rate. The results show that improvement of the electrochemical properties of TiO2 to reach the performance required for use as an electrode for lithium-ion batteries requires not only nanosized porous particles but also a morphology that prevents the self-aggregation of the particles during cycling.