Titanium dioxide is regarded as one of the ideal candidates for high-rate anode materials, to match the high-power cathode materials in high-performance rechargeable Li-ion batteries. But the lack of open channels in bulk TiO₂ restricts its capacity and the rate of reversible lithium insertion and extraction.

Xue-Wei Liu and co-workers, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, report a large-scale synthesis of carbon-supported stacked TiO₂ nanosheets. They use a simple and clean ionic liquid system which acts as a structure-directing agent for the layered framework. Carbon pillars create open channels for fast lithium ion diffusion. The ultrathin framework renders the storage of lithium almost exclusively on the surface.

As a result, the materials exhibit superior capacity and high-rate performance for ultrafast lithium storage.

• Sandwich-Like, Stacked Ultrathin Titanate Nanosheets for Ultrafast Lithium Storage
  J. Liu, J. S. Chen, X. Wei, X. W. Lou, X.-W. Liu,
  Adv. Mater. 2011.
  DOI: 10.1002/adma.201003759