Phosphorus-doping and oxygen vacancy endowing anatase TiO2 with excellent sodium storage performance

Titanium dioxide is considered to be promising anode for sodium-ion batteries due to stable structure during the charge/discharge process. However, its practical application is hindered by the slow electron/ion transport. Herein, phosphorus-doped anatase TiO2 nanoparticles with oxygen vacancies are successfully synthesized and utilized as high-performance sodium-storage materials. The dual strategy of phosphorus-doping and oxygen vacancies can concurrently boost electronic conductivity and adjust ion diffusion kinetics. They significantly contribute to the improved rate performance (167 mAh·g−1 at 20.0C) and stable cycling (95.9% after 2000 cycles at 20.0C). The proposed dual strategy can be potentially used to improve other oxide anodes for rechargeable batteries.