Improved electrochemical performances derived from synergistic titanium dioxide and iron titanate porous nanohybrids serving as lithium-ion battery anodes

Abstract

The porous nanocomposites of TiO2 with Fe2TiO5 acting as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are successfully fabricated via a solvothermal method followed by a sintering process. The porous TiO2/Fe2TiO5 nanocomposites display a dominant pore size of ca. 30 nm and specific surface area of 38.0 m2 g−1, which can provide large contact area between electrolyte and electrode and shorten the diffusion distance of lithium-ion. Electrochemical examinations prove that the as-prepared TiO2/Fe2TiO5 electrode material achieves a reversible capacity of 440.8 mAh g−1 at a current density of 100 mA g−1 after 400 cycles, and the capacities of 165.0, 115.3, and 66.4 mAh g−1 at the current densities of 200, 400, and 800 mA g−1, respectively. Comparing with TiO2 porous structure, the improved electrochemical performances of the porous TiO2/Fe2TiO5 nanocomposites are mostly ascribed to the synergistic effect of TiO2 acting as a cycling stable buffer and Fe2TiO5 increasing the capacity of electrode during the charge-discharge processes.