Crystal and electronic structure of lithiated nanosized rutile TiO2 by electron diffraction and electron energy-loss spectroscopy

The crystal and electronic structure of the lithiated nanosized rutile TiO2 were studied using electron diffraction and electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) in a transmission electron microscopy. EELS reveals the Li K -edge at the energy-loss position of ∼61 eV. After lithiation, the t2g - eg crystal-field splitting on both Ti L2,3 -edge and O K -edge decreases, the O K -edge shifts toward a higher energy-loss position and the separation between the pre-edge peak and main peak on the O K -edge decreases, suggesting that the lithiation of rutile TiO2 was accompanied by the reduction in Ti ion, indicating a charge transfer from Li to Ti.