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Constructing Three-Dimensional Macroporous TiO2 Microspheres with Enhanced Pseudocapacitive Lithium Storage under
Ruhan He1, Zhenhui Liu1, Pan He1
1State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, International School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, P. R. China.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|April 1, 2021
Summary
Three-dimensional macroporous titanium dioxide (TiO2) microspheres enable high capacity and stable cycling in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) by operating at deep discharge potentials. This advancement overcomes previous limitations in TiO2 anode performance.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), but its theoretical capacity is difficult to achieve within the 1.0-3.0 V potential range.
- Extending the potential range below 1.0 V enhances capacity but often compromises cyclic stability due to poor ionic diffusion and structural integrity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a scalable method for synthesizing 3D macroporous TiO2 microspheres with interconnected pores and nanocrystalline walls.
- To evaluate the performance of these 3D macroporous TiO2 microspheres as an anode material for LIBs under deep discharging/charging conditions (0.01-3.0 V).
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of 3D macroporous TiO2 microspheres using a template-assisted spray drying method.
- Electrochemical testing of the synthesized TiO2 microspheres in LIBs, including capacity, cyclic stability, and rate performance.
- In situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy to investigate structural evolution and lithium storage mechanisms.
Main Results:
- Achieved high discharge capacity (300 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1) and superior cyclic stability (242 mAh g-1 after 1000 cycles at 1.0 A g-1) under deep discharge conditions.
- The 3D macroporous structure remained stable during deep cycling.
- Identified a dominant pseudocapacitive contribution to lithium storage at low potentials (0.01-1.0 V).
Conclusions:
- The developed template-assisted spray drying method provides a facile route for synthesizing macroporous metal oxides for energy storage applications.
- 3D macroporous TiO2 microspheres demonstrate excellent potential as high-performance anode materials for LIBs, particularly under deep discharge conditions.
- Understanding the pseudocapacitive contribution enhances insights into lithium storage mechanisms in TiO2.
