Understanding the high performance of nanosized rutile TiO2 anode for lithium-ion batteries

The so-called “nanorutile TiO2 high performance anode material” is somewhat misleading. Below 1.2 V, rutile undergoes an irreversible phase transformation into disordered rock salt-type c-LiTiO2. During repeated charge-discharge cycling in the 3.0–1.0 V range, the cubic structure of LiTiO2 is retained. It is capable of reversibly storing lithium through a solid solution with a noteworthy little volume change as demonstrated by ex situ XRD in samples taken at selected cycles. Interestingly, its good power rate behaviour is not due to fast diffusion of lithium as, in fact, it is strongly inhibited (DLi+ ≈ 10−15 cm2 s−1). Most of its capacity arises from capacitive processes. At 0.3 mV s−1 and higher sweep rates it accounts for more than 50% of total specific capacity, and the capacitive contribution is ca. 90% at 1.5 mV s−1. This work should boost new research on direct synthesis of cubic rock salt-type LiTiO2.