Battery Performance and Photocatalytic Activity of Mesoporous Anatase TiO₂ Nanospheres/Graphene Composites by Template‐Free Self‐Assembly

Abstract

Abstract Nanosized mesoporous anatase TiO 2 particles have important applications in high‐performance lithium ion batteries and efficient photocatalysis. In contrast to the conventional synthesis routes where various soft or hard templates are usually employed, the direct growth of uniform mesoporous anatase TiO 2 nanospheres on graphene sheets by a template‐free self‐assembly process is presented. Compared to the conventional mesoporous anatase particles consisting of polycrystalline TiO 2 , the microstructure of obtained mesoporous anatase nanospheres on graphene sheets is single‐crystal‐like. The growth mechanism, lithium ion battery performance, and photocatalytic activity of the resultant mesoporous anatase TiO 2 nanospheres/graphene composites are thoroughly investigated. In comparison to the reference TiO 2 , the composite shows substantial improvement in lithium specific capacity from 1 C to 50 C, and photocatalytic removing organic pollutant and hydrogen evolution. More strikingly, the specific capacity of the composite at the rate of 50 C is as high as 97 mA h g −1 , 6 times higher than that of the reference TiO 2 .