Electrochemical Intercalation of Lithium into Thin Film of Stacked Tetratitanate Nanosheets Fabricated by Electrophoretic Deposition

The lithium intercalation properties of the thin films of stacked tetratitanate nanosheets were examined, and the diffusion coefficient of the lithium ions was estimated in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the nanosheets. Thin films of tetratitanate nanosheets were prepared by electrophoretic deposition (EPD) on a Pt substrate. A diluted dispersion of nanosheets was used as the EPD bath. Thin films of tetratitanate showed a capacity of 180 +/- 10 mAh g(-1). The relationship between the capacity and the current density was used to estimate the diffusion coefficient, and the relationship was well reproduced by mathematical simulation using a diffusion coefficient of 6 x 10(-14) cm(2) s(-1). This value was 1/5000 of that along the in-plane direction of tetratitanate nanosheets. The anisotropic behavior of the thin film composed of the nanosheets was observed clearly. (C) 2012 The Electrochemical Society. [DOI: 10.1149/2.031302jes] All rights reserved.