Titanium niobium oxide and titanium oxide composite anode materials
A material including TiO 2 nanoparticles at least partially embedded in a matrix material of Ti x Nb y O z , where 0<x≤2, 0<y≤24, and 0<z≤62, is provided. Methods of making the material are also provided.
1. A material comprising a plurality of nanoparticles consisting of TiO 2 at least partially embedded in an interconnected web of a matrix material comprising Ti x Nb y O z , where 0<x≤2, 0<y≤24, and 0<z≤62.
2. The material according to claim 1 , wherein the matrix material comprises one or more of TiNb 2 O 7 , Ti 2 Nb 10 O 29 , TiNb 6 O 17 , or TiNb 24 O 62 .
3. The material according to claim 1 , wherein a portion of the TiO 2 nanoparticles are partially embedded in the matrix material.
4. The material according to claim 1 , wherein a portion of the TiO 2 nanoparticles are completely embedded in the matrix material.
5. The material according to claim 1 , wherein the material has a Ti x Nb y O z :TiO 2 weight ratio of greater than or equal to about 1:99 to less than or equal to about 100:101.
6. The material according to claim 1 , wherein the TiO 2 nanoparticles have a maximum dimension of greater than or equal to about 1 nm to less than or equal to about 1000 nm.
7. The material according to claim 1 , wherein the matrix material comprises a plurality of species of the Ti x Nb y O z , where 0<x≤2, 0<y≤24, and 0<z≤62.
8. The material according to claim 1 , wherein the material further comprises a coating or a dopant comprising a material selected from the group consisting of a transition metal, a transition metal compound, or a carbon-based material comprising graphene, reduced oxide graphene, carbon nanotubes, carbon fibers, and combinations thereof.
9. An electrochemical cell comprising an anode comprising the material according to claim 1 .
10. An anode comprising an anode material comprising a plurality of nanoparticles consisting of TiO 2 at least partially embedded in an interconnected web of a matrix material comprising Ti x Nb y O z , where 0<x≤2, 0<y≤24, and 0<z≤62, wherein the anode material has a Ti x Nb y O z :TiO 2 weight ratio of greater than or equal to about 1:99 to less than or equal to about 100:101.
11. The anode according to claim 10 , wherein the anode is disposed in an electrochemical cell that cycles lithium or sodium ions.
12. The anode according to claim 10 , wherein the anode is disposed in a solid-state electrochemical cell.
13. A method of producing a material, the method comprising:
forming a mixture of starting materials in a ball milling container, the starting materials comprising a precursor material comprising at least one of Nb 2 O 5 or Ti a Nb b O c , where 0≤a≤2, 0<b≤24, and 0<c≤62, and TiO 2 particles; and
ball milling the mixture to form the material,
wherein the material comprises a plurality of nanoparticles consisting of TiO 2 at least partially embedded in an interconnected web of a matrix material comprising Ti x Nb y O z , where 0<x≤2, 0<y≤24, and 0<z≤62.
14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the starting materials further comprise a liquid dispersing agent,
wherein the liquid dispersing agent is provided at a volume of greater than 0 mL to less than or equal to 2V/3, where V is the volume of the ball milling container in mL.
15. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the precursor material and the TiO 2 particles are combined at a predetermined precursor material:TiO 2 particles molar ratio of about 0.01 to about 15 in order to arrive at the material with a predetermined stoichiometry for the x, y, and z and a predetermined Ti x Nb y O z :TiO 2 composite weight ratio of greater than or equal to about 0.01 to less than or equal to about 0.99.
16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the molar ratio is greater than or equal to about 0.5 to less than or equal to about 15.
17. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the ball milling is performed at a speed of greater than or equal to about 100 rpm to less than or equal to about 1000 rpm for a time period of greater than or equal to about 30 minutes to less than or equal to about 24 hours.
18. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising:
heating the material at a temperature of from greater than or equal to about 600° C. to less than or equal to about 1200° C. for a time period of greater than or equal to about 3 hours to less than or equal to about 24 hours.
19. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising:
disposing the material as an anode into an electrochemical cell having an electrolyte and a cathode.