Hansan Liu and co-workers, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tennessee, USA, have designed and synthesized mesoporous TiO₂-B (bronze) microspheres for highpower lithium ion battery electrodes. The microspheres feature channels and pores that allow the unimpeded and fast flow of lithium ions. Consequently, a lithium ion battery that includes a TiO₂-B electrode charges and discharges quickly, reaching 50 % of full charge in six minutes. A traditional graphite-based battery would be just 10 % charged at the same current.

The microsphere shape means that traditional electrode fabrication techniques can be employed and compact electrode layers can be made. These features enable this material to have superior lithium storage performance which could meet the needs of electric vehicle batteries and other high power applications.

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• Mesoporous TiO₂ –B Microspheres with Superior Rate Performance for Lithium Ion Batteries
  H. Liu, Z. Bi, X.-G. Sun, R. R. Unocic, M. P. Paranthaman, S. Dai, G. M. Brown,
  Adv. Mater. 2011, 23(30), 3450—3454.
  DOI: 10.1002/adma.201100599