Nanostructured TiO₂ Anatase Micropatterned\nThree-Dimensional Electrodes for High-Performance Li-Ion Batteries

Abstract

Soft\nlithography using polydimethylsilicate molds is shown to be\na novel promising method to prepare three-dimensional (3D) micro Li-ion\nelectrodes, demonstrated by the synthesis of nanometer TiO₂ anatase in the molds via a TiO₂ sol. With this approach\nthe 3D electrode morphology can be controlled to a large degree, which\nallows for the optimization of ionic and electronic wiring. The resulting\n3D microshaped nano-TiO₂ electrodes, with no conducting\nor other additives, show very high rate performance in combination\nwith high electrode densities (energy densities) and long cycle life.\nThese results demonstrate the potential application of soft lithography\ntechniques for high-performance electrode preparation which, in addition\nto providing a large degree of control over the 3D electrode design,\nis relatively cheap and easy to scale up.