Block copolymer‐directed synthesis of porous anatase for lithium‐ion battery electrodes

ABSTRACT A templating method is developed to produce porous nanocrystalline anatase materials for negative electrodes in lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs). Amphiphilic diblock copolymers are used to generate template films with phase‐separated internal structure. Subsequent swelling with acidified titanium(IV) bis(ammonium lactato) dihydroxide (TALH) solution yielded structured hybrid films. Upon heating, the formation of TiO2 nanocrystals is induced, resulting in a three‐dimensional mesoporous structure directed by the bulk morphology of the polymer template. In comparison to commercial nanosized anatase, the structured anatase shows significant performance improvements in lithium‐ion coin cell batteries in terms of capacity, stability, and rate capability. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019, 57, 1890–1896 Phase‐separated bulk films of diblock copolymers can be used in a template‐directed approach to synthesize mesoporous films of nanocrystalline anatase. Structuring TiO2‐based electrode components allows for tailored lithium ion battery performance.