Control of metal oxides' electronic conductivity through visual intercalation chemical reactions.

ABSTRACT: Cation intercalation is an effective method to optimize the electronic structures of metal oxides, but tuning intercalation structure and conductivity by manipulating ion movement is difficult. Here, we report a visual topochemical synthesis strategy to control intercalation pathways and structures and realize the rapid synthesis of flexible conductive metal oxide films in one minute at room temperature. Using flexible TiO₂ nanofiber films as the prototype, we design three charge-driven models to intercalate preset Li⁺-ions into the TiO₂ lattice slowly (µm/s), rapidly (mm/s), or ultrafast (cm/s). The Li⁺-intercalation causes real-time color changes of the TiO₂ films from white to blue and then black, corresponding to the structures of Li_xTiO₂ and Li_xTiO_2-δ, and the enhanced conductivity from 0 to 1 and 40 S/m. This work realizes large-scale and rapid synthesis of flexible TiO₂ nanofiber films with tunable conductivity and is expected to extend the synthesis to other conductive metal oxide films.

SUBMITTER: Zhang Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10545781 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature