Microemulsion-mediated sol–gel synthesis of mesoporous rutile TiO2 nanoneedles and its performance as anode material for Li-ion batteries

Mesoporous rutile TiO2 nanoneedles have been successfully synthesized using a reverse microemulsion-mediated sol–gel method at room temperature. The materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and the Bruauner–Emmet–Teller (BET) adsorption method, and their electrochemical properties were investigated by galvanostatic charge and discharge tests. XRD observations revealed the formation of a pure rutile TiO2 phase. Furthermore, TEM observation revealed the presence of a highly porous needle-like morphology. The electrochemical measurements show that the nanoneedles deliver an initial capacity of 305 mA h g−1 as anode material for Li-ion batteries and sustain a capacity value of 128 mA h g−1 beyond 15 cycles. The reported synthesis is simple, mild, energy efficient, and without postcalcination.

Graphical abstractMesoporous rutile TiO2 nanoneedles have been successfully synthesized using a reverse microemulsion-mediated sol–gel method at room temperature.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload high-quality image (109 K)Download as PowerPoint slideResearch highlights► Mesoporous rutile TiO2 nanoneedles have been prepared by microemulsion technique. ► No calcination required as the rutile TiO2 phase is formed at room temperature. ► Nanoneedles sustain a capacity of 128 mAhg−1 beyond 15 cycles as anode material for Li-ion batteries. ► A possible growth mechanism for the formation of nanoneedles in microemulsion is proposed.