Kinetically controlled low-temperature solution-processed mesoporous rutile TiO2 for high performance lithium-ion batteries

Abstract

Solution-processed nanostructured mesoporous rutile phase titanium dioxides (TiO2) are a fascinating class of materials for energy applications owing to their remarkable properties, including thermal stability. The unique lattice structure of rutile TiO2 (R-TiO2) leads to multifaceted physicochemical properties, which influence its performances. We here report the preparation of mesoporous R-TiO2 via a simple and scalable solution process at a low temperature (<50°C). Kinetically controlled synthesis of mesoporous R-TiO2 with three-dimensional hierarchical sea-urchin-like morphology containing populous one-dimensional nanorods are prepared from the precipitates of our cocktail-like precursor solutions of TiCl4 and CH4N2S. The mesoporous R-TiO2 annealed at 300°C possessing a large surface area manifests excellent energy storage behavior, with a high capacity of 457mAhg−1 for the first discharge cycle, at a current density of 0.2 C in the potential range of 1–3V, as well as a high reversible charge–discharge capacity, high rate performance, and excellent cycling stability for lithium-ion batteries. We anticipate our straightforward wet-chemical method to advance the development of mesoporous TiO2 as a promising candidate for high-performance energy storage and other energy applications.