Nanotubes (inner diameter of 8nm and outer diameter of 10nm with a length of up to several hundred nm) and nanowires (diameter 20 – 50nm and up to several μm in length) of TiO₂-B have been synthesised and characterised for the first time. These exhibit excellent properties as a host for lithium intercalation and are able to accommodate lithium up to a composition of Li₀.₉₈TiO₂-B for the nanotubes and Li₀.₈₉TiO₂-B for the nanowires. Following some irreversible capacity on the first cycle, which could be reduced to 4% for the nanowires, capacity retention for the nanowires is 99.9% and for the nanotubes is 99.5% per cycle. In both cases, the cycling occurs at ~1.6V versus lithium. The cycling performance was compared with other forms of bulk and nano-TiO₂, all of which were able to intercalate less lithium. Nanowires of VO₂-B (50 – 100nm in diameter and up to several μm in length) were synthesised by a hydrothermal reaction and characterised. By reducing the pressure inside the hydrothermal bomb, narrower VO₂-B nanowires with a diameter of 2 – 5nm and length of up to several hundred nm were created - some of the narrowest nanowires ever made by a hydrothermal reaction. These materials are isostructural with TiO₂-B and were also found to perform well in rechargeable lithium ion batteries, being able to intercalate 0.84Li for the ultra-thin nanowires and 0.57Li for the standard nanowires. The standard VO₂-B nanowires have a capacity retention of 99.8% and the ultra-thin nanowires have 98.4% per cycle after some irreversible capacity on the first cycle. This was found to improve markedly when different electrolytes were used. Macroporous Co₃O₄ (pore size 400nm with a surface area of 208m²/g) was prepared and cycled in rechargeable lithium cells with capacities of 1500mAh/g being achieved. The structure was found to break down on the first cycle and after this the material behaved in the manner of Co₃O₄ nanoparticles. Finally a new candidate for next generation rechargeable lithium batteries was examined; Li/O₂ cells. The cathode is composed of porous carbon in which Li⁺, e⁻ and O₂ meet to form Li₂O₂ on discharge. The reaction is reversible on charge. Capacities of 2800mAh/g can be achieved when 5%mole of αMnO₂ nanowires catalyst is used. Fade is high at 3.4% per cycle meaning that there is much work to do to develop these into a commercial prospect.

Le dioxyde de titane, connu pour ses applications dans les domaines de la photoactivité et du photovoltaïque, est aussi un candidat d'électrode négative pour batteries lithium-ion. Les variétés anatase et TiO2(B) sont les plus prometteuses. Leurs capacités sont respectivement de 0,50 et 0,75 Li+ par motif de TiO2. Sous forme nanométrique, elles présentent des densités d'énergie et de puissance accrues. L'objet de ce travail de thèse concerne la synthèse par chimie douce de dioxydes de titane nanométriques selon la méthode développée initialement par Kasuga et al. et leur caractérisation. La méthode en trois étapes génère successivement deux intermédiaires tels que (i) le titanate (NaOH)xTiO2(H2O)y (x = 0,3-0,5 et y = 0,4-0,7) par reflux, et (ii) l'acide titanique TiO2(H2O)z (z = 0,7-0,8) après échange ionique, et finalement, après recuit, (iii) le TiO2 de morphologie proche de celle du titanate précurseur. Quatre titanates de sodium ont été identifiés, trois structures lamellaires, se différenciant par leur morphologie (nanotubes, semi-nanotubes et nanorubans) et une structure amorphe s'apparentant à des nanosphères. Après échange ionique et recuit, les nanotubes et les nanosphères se transforment en anatase, les semi-nanotubes en un mélange d'anatase et de TiO2(B), et les nanorubans en TiO2(B) exclusivement. La quantification par spectroscopie Raman du ratio anatase/TiO2(B) a été développée en calibrant les intensités avec les résultats d'électrochimie. Enfin, les nanorubans de TiO2(B) ont été testés au sein de demi-batterie lithium métal. Les performances sont prometteuses avec une capacité réversible de 200 mAh.g-1 à C/3 (soit 0,6 Li+ par TiO2) et de 100 mAh.g-1 à 15C.

This doctoral thesis deals with synthesis and characterisation of electroactive electrode materials for li-ion batteries and accumulators. The work is divided into two main parts. One deals with LiFePO4 based cathode composite electroactive material and in the second is described the synthesis and utilization of monoclinic TiO2(B) as an anode for li-ion cell. The main aim of the work is to relate the synthesis procedure and structural properties of both materials to its electrochemical preformance.