Amorphisation and recrystallisation study of lithium intercalation into TiO 2 nano-architecture.

Titanium dioxide is playing an increasingly significant role in easing environmental and energy concerns. Its rich variety of polymorphic crystal structures has facilitated a wide range of applications such as photo-catalysis, photo-splitting of water, photoelectrochromic devices, insulators in metal oxide, semiconductors devices, dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) (energy conversions), rechargeable lithium batteries (electrochemical storage). The complex structural aspects in nano TiO 2 , are elucidated by microscopic visualization and quantification of the microstructure for electrode materials, since cell performance and various aging mechanisms depend strongly on the appearance and changes in the microstructure. Recent studies on MnO 2 have demonstrated that amorphisation and recrystallisation simulation method can adequately generate various nanostructures, for Li-ion battery compounds. The method was also previously employed to produce nano-TiO 2 . In the current study, the approach is used to study lithiated nanoporous structure for TiO 2 which have been extensively studied experimentally, as mentioned above. Molecular graphic images showing microstructural features, including voids and channels have accommodated lithium’s during lithiation and delithiation. Preliminary lithiation of TiO 2 will be considered.