In Situ Structural Changes upon Electrochemical Lithium Insertion in Nanosized Anatalse TiO2

The intercalation of lithium in nanosized TiO2 has been Studied for its application as all electrode for rechargeable, Li-ion batteries. In this paper, We use a synthesis process in order to obtain a low-density anatase TiO2 presenting monocrystalline particles of 7-8 nm. These textural characteristics allow this material to host almost twice as much Li (300 mAh.g(-1)) than that of a micrometer sized anatase. In this study, in situ X-ray absorption Spectroscopy is used to monitor and understand the structural changes that happen upon lithium insertion/removal, leading to a reversible two-phase transition process: TiO2 (I4(1)/amd) -> Li-titanate (Imna) - Li1TiO2 (I4(1)/amd).