Annealing temperature-dependent electrochemical properties of Aeroxide P25 TiO2 nanoparticles as anode material for lithium storage

Abstract

TiO2 has been widely studied as an important electrode material for electrochemical energy storage. Understanding its relationship between textural properties and electrochemical characteristics is essential to boosting its practical performances. Herein, Aeroxide P25 TiO2 nanoparticles annealing at different temperatures (400–600 °C) were investigated as an anode material of lithium ion battery. Their evolution in crystal phase and microstructural characteristics were characterized by XRD and BET surface analysis, and their lithium storage properties in half-cells were evaluated by various electrochemical analyses, including cyclic voltammetry, cycling testing, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. It was found that the lithium storage properties were critically dependent on the size of TiO2 anode materials. Pristine P25 initially exhibited the highest initial discharge specific capacity due to its smallest particle size; however, rapid capacity loss occurred during extended cycling. The annealing process was found to effectively enhance the cycling stability of TiO2 although possessing a large particle size and smaller surface area. Typically, P400 showed the best performances in cycling stability, capacity retention ratio, and rate capability, which is mainly attributed to the synergistic effect of high crystallinity, reasonable particle size, and less internal resistance. This study provides an instance of optimizing the textural properties of metal oxides for advanced LIB anode material applications.