Unlocking the multifunctional role of glucose in crafting mesoporous Ti2O1.3(PO4)1.6/C nanoplates for synergistic ion-electron transport

Inspired by the exceptional cycling stability of LiFePO 4 , titanium-based polyanionic compounds (e.g., Ti 2 O 1.3 (PO 4 ) 1.6 ) hold significant promise as high-performance anode materials. However, the Ti 3 + oxidation sensitivity, together with the strong covalent P–O bonds in Ti 2 O 1.3 (PO 4 ) 1.6 , hinders phase synthesis and reduce intrinsic electronic conductivity, restricting its Li‑ion storage applications. Herein, carbon-coated mesoporous Ti 2 O 1.3 (PO 4 ) 1.6 nanoplates (C@TOP) are successfully synthesized through a glucose-mediated hydrothermal strategy. This approach enables the precise construction of optimal hierarchical architecture, featuring highly crystalline TOP nanoplates and interconnected mesoporous networks that provide plentiful active sites and beneficial transport channels to boost ion diffusion. In addition, appropriate carbon coating acts as electron highway, its cooperation with rapid Li-ion diffusion markedly improves electrochemical kinetics and reversible lithiation/delithiation. As a result, the optimized C@TOP anode delivers outstanding Li-storage performance, including a prominent capacity of 681.6 mAh g −1 at 200 mA g −1 , excellent cycling stability with 528.3 mAh g −1 after 500 cycles, and exceptional rate capability with 438.0 mAh g −1 at 1000 mA g −1 . Mechanistic analysis unveils a predominantly pseudocapacitive charge-storage mechanism (88 % contribution), enabled by the facilitated ion and electron transport within the well-designed architecture. This work provides useful insights into developing high-performance polyanionic compound-based anodes for next-generation lithium-ion batteries.