title: Polyacrylonitrile block copolymers for the preparation of a thin carbon coating around TiO2 nanorods for advanced lithium-ion batteries.
abstract: Herein, a new method for the realization of a thin and homogenous carbonaceous particle coating, made by carbonizing RAFT polymerization derived block copolymers anchored on anatase TiO2 nanorods, is presented. These block copolymers consist of a short anchor block (based on dopamine) and a long, easily graphitizable block of polyacrylonitrile. The grafting of such block copolymers to TiO2 nanorods creates a polymer shell, which can be visualized by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Thermal treatment at 700 °C converts the polyacrylonitrile block to partially graphitic structures (as determined by Raman spectroscopy), establishing a thin carbon coating (as determined by transmission electron microscopy, TEM, analysis). The carbon-coated TiO2 nanorods show improved electrochemical performance in terms of achievable specific capacity and, particularly, long-term cycling stability by reducing the average capacity fading per cycle from 0.252 mAh g(-1) to only 0.075 mAh g(-1) .
authors.affiliation: Institute for Organic Chemistry, University of Mainz, Duesbergweg 10-14, 55128, Mainz, Germany; Graduate School Materials Science in Mainz, Staudinger Weg 9, 55128, Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Oschmann
authors.forename: Dominic
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bresser
authors.forename: Muhammad Nawaz
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Tahir
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tremel
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Passerini
authors.forename: Rudolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zentel
mesh_terms: D000180:Acrylic Resins / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D011211:Electric Power Supplies; D055664:Electrochemical Techniques; D007477:Ions / Q000737:chemistry; D008094:Lithium / Q000737:chemistry*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D043942:Nanotubes / Q000737:chemistry*; D010316:Particle Size; D013499:Surface Properties; D013696:Temperature; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000180:Acrylic Resins; D007477:Ions; C009495:titanium dioxide; C010504:polyacrylonitrile; D002244:Carbon; D008094:Lithium; D014025:Titanium
keywords: RAFT-polymerization; TiO2 nanorods; carbon coating; lithium-ion batteries; poly­acrylonitrile