A Composite TiO2-SiO2-ZrO2Oxide System as a High-Performance Anode Material for Lithium-Ion Batteries

A novel TiO2-SiO2-ZrO2 triple oxide system (with TiO2:SiO2:ZrO2 molar ratio of 8:1:1) was synthesized and used as an anode material in a Li-ion battery. The system was prepared via a sol-gel route, utilizing titanium(IV) isopropoxide, tetraethoxysilane and zirconium(IV) propoxide as the precursors of titania, silica and zirconia, respectively. The material obtained underwent a series of analyses, including particle size distribution, morphology, crystalline structure, surface composition, porous structure parameters, thermal stability and characteristic functional groups. The suitability of the advanced TiO2-SiO2-ZrO2 oxide system as an anode material for a Li-ion battery was evaluated by the galvanostatic discharge/charge method. After 50 cycles the reversible capacity of TiO2-SiO2-ZrO2 was 170 mAh g−1. The developed method for synthesis of a triple oxide system based on titania is effective in terms of producing a promising anode material for Li-ion batteries.