High-Rate Li⁺Storage Capacity of Surfactant-Templated Graphene-TiO₂Nanocomposites

Abstract

Graphene-TiO2 nanocomposites are a promising anode material for Li-ion batteries due to their good high-rate capacity, inherent safety, and mechanical and chemical robustness. However, despite a large number of scientific reports on the material, the mechanism of the enhanced high-rate Li+ storage capacity that results from the addition of graphene to TiO2 – typically attributed to improved electrical conductivity – is still not well understood. In this work, we focus on optimizing the processing of surfactant-templated graphene-TiO2 hybrid nanocomposites. Towards this end, we examine the influence of various processing parameters, in particular the surfactant-mediated colloidal dispersion of graphene, on the material properties and electrochemical performance of graphene-TiO2. We investigate the influence of electrode mass loading on Li+ storage capacity, focusing mainly on high-rate performance. Furthermore, we demonstrate an approach for estimating power loss during charge/discharge cycling, which offers a succinct method for characterizing the high-rate performance of Li-ion battery electrodes.