Titanium-based anode materials for safe lithium-ion batteries

Lithium-ion batteries have been long considered a promising energy storage technology for electrification of the transportation system. However, the poor safety characteristics of lithium-ion batteries is one of several technological barriers that hinder their deployment for automobile applications. Within the field of battery research and development, titanium-based anode materials have recently attracted widespread attention due to their significantly better thermal stability than the conventional graphite anode. In this chapter, the fundamental properties and promising electrochemical performance of titanium-based anode materials will be discussed for applications in hybrid electric vehicles. Nanostructured titanium-based oxide materials have been long pursued as anode materials for safe, extremely long life, and high power lithium-ion batteries. The outstanding safety and electrochemical performance of titanium-based anodes originates from their relatively high working potential, much higher than the potential needed for graphitic anodes, to form solid electrolyte interphase. Compared to graphite, lithiated titanium-based anodes release a substantially smaller amount of heat under abuse conditions.