Abstract
A new synthetic route for the formation of titanium oxydifluoride (TiOF2) through the process of direct fluorination via a fluidized bed reactor system and the associated electrochemical properties of the powders formed from this approach are reported. The flexibility of this synthetic route was demonstrated using precursor powders of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles, as well as a reduced TiOxNy. An advantage of this synthetic method is the ability to directly control the extent of fluorination as a function of reaction temperature and time. The reversible capacity of TiOF2 anodes was found to depend greatly upon the precursor employed. The TiOF2 synthesized from TiO2 and TiOxNy showed reversible capacities of 300 mAh g-1 and 440 mAh g-1, respectively, over 100 cycles. The higher reversible capacity of the TiOF2 powders derived from TiOxNy likely relate to the partial reduction of the Ti in the fluorinated electrode material, highlighting a route to optimize the properties of conversion electrode materials.
