Advanced Electrode Research Articles

DFT-Guided Design of Dual Dopants in Anatase TiO2 for Boosted Sodium Storage.

Anatase titanium dioxide (TiO2) has drawn great attention as an anode material in sodium ion batteries (SIBs), but it suffers from the sluggish diffusion kinetics of Na+ within TiO2 and inferior electronic conductivity. Herein, under the guidance of density functional theory (DFT), we propose a nitrogen and selenium dual-doped TiO2 system as an advanced SIB anode. Both DFT and experimental investigations reveal the cooperative effect of dopants in boosting the electrochemical performance of TiO2, finding the optimal content ratio (N/Se at 1:3) for overall improved SIB performances. As expected, experimental results exhibit excellent sodium storage behavior of the N,Se-doped TiO2, including high discharge capacity (142 mAh g-1 at 2 A g-1), good rate performance (82 mAh g-1 at 20 A g-1), and ultralong cyclability (97% retention over 5000 cycles at 2 A g-1). Our study underscores the importance of dual-heteroatom doping in the rational design of advanced electrode materials.

Electrochemical Methods for Nutrient Removal in Wastewater: A Review of Advanced Electrode Materials, Processes, and Applications

In response to the increasing global water demand and the pressing environmental challenges posed by climate change, the development of advanced wastewater treatment processes has become essential. This study introduces novel electrochemical technologies and examines the scalability of industrial-scale electrooxidation (EO) methods for wastewater treatment, focusing on simplifying processes and reducing operational costs. Focusing on the effective removal of key nutrients, specifically nitrogen and phosphorus, from wastewater, this review highlights recent advancements in electrode materials and innovative designs, such as high-performance metal oxides and carbon-based electrodes, that enhance efficiency and sustainability. Additionally, a comprehensive discussion covers a range of electrochemical methods, including electrocoagulation and electrooxidation, each evaluated for their effectiveness in nutrient removal. Unlike previous studies, this review not only examines nutrient removal efficiency, but also assesses the industrial applicability of these technologies through case studies, demonstrating their potential in municipal and industrial wastewater contexts. By advancing durable and cost-effective electrode materials, this study emphasizes the potential of electrochemical wastewater treatment technologies to address global water quality issues and promote environmental sustainability. Future research directions are identified with a focus on overcoming current limitations, such as high operational costs and electrode degradation, and positioning electrochemical treatment as a promising solution for sustainable water resource management on a larger scale.

Breaking the Limitations of Activity and Stability in Powdered Materials for Oxygen Evolution Reaction: The Critical Role of Catalyst-Inducing Seeds

Powdered catalysts are extensively employed in industrial-scale energy conversion devices but struggle with weak powder-substrate adhesion and inherent instability in gas-evolving and highly oxidative oxygen evolution reactions (OER). This work introduces an innovative strategy in which powdered materials serve a critical role as catalyst-inducing seeds to break these limitations. Specifically, powdered Ti2CTx MXene with anchored cobalt single atoms (Co-SAs) shows negligible catalytic activity on its own but serves as catalyst-inducing seeds, significantly enhancing the catalytic activity of the conductive FeNi substrate. Mechanistic studies demonstrate that Co-SAs accelerate the oxidation rate of Ti2CTx, leading to the micro-battery corrosion behavior between oxidized Co/Ti2CTx and FeNi alloy, which generates highly OER-active corrosion products tightly bonded to FeNi alloy, thereby enhancing catalytic activity and ensuring stability. The prepared porous electrode shows a low overpotential of 303mV to deliver an ultra-high current density of 1000mAcm-2 and maintains activity for 1200hours under high current density conditions, rivaling advanced self-supporting electrodes. Moreover, replacing Co in Co/Ti2CTx with metals like Fe, Ni or Mn, yields comparable effects, suggesting the scalability of catalyst-inducing seeds. This approach breaks traditional limitations of powdered materials in OER, offering an effective pathway to engineer advanced catalytic electrodes.

Clarify the process of overshoot voltage generation of proton exchange membrane electrolyzer under intermittent operation

Overshoot voltage phenomenon often occurs when the proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer is in the intermittent operation, which makes H2 production energy consumption increase significantly and its lifetime reduce rapidly, especially to the high-power electrolyzers in the industrial applications. Up to now, the phenomenon has been rarely understood and its process is elusive. Therefore, in this work, firstly, we find that the polarization curve of PEM electrolyzers happening S distortion synchronize with the appearance of overshoot voltage phenomenon. Secondly, through in-situ Raman characterization, we find that involvement and disappearance of H2O in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is the key factor causing and resolving this phenomenon. Finally, we used EPMA to exclude metal cations affection. Also, by micro-CT, EIS test, visualization PEM electrolyzer inside model and COMSOL electromagnetic simulation, we find that anode catalyst layer porosity reduction directly affects water absorption of membrane as well as current variation leads to eddy currents generation which is deepen unequal current distribution. These are two important reasons for the involvement of H2O in HER. In summary, these findings elucidate the mechanism of overshoot voltage phenomenon for the first time, which contributes to design novel electrical protection schemes and advanced membrane electrodes for PEM electrolyzers, thus they can help to achieve cost reduction and efficiency improvement in the green hydrogen industry.

Zeolitic imidazolate framework@graphene oxide nanocomposites for efficient supercapacitor electrodes

Despite advancements in nanoscale electrode materials, the pursuit of dependable, effective, and environmentally sound supercapacitors continues. This study explores the potential of zeolitic imidazolate framework@graphene oxide (ZIF@GO) nanocomposites as a viable option by revealing their improved electrochemical performance, including enhanced charge storage capacity and prolonged cycling stability. The ZIF-8@GO electrode exhibited an exceptional specific capacitance of 1372.67F/g at 1 A/g, indicating remarkable energy storage capacity. Furthermore, it showed exceptional cycling stability and durability by maintaining 96.02% of its capacitance after 20,000 cycles. To further evaluate ZIF-8@GO for energy storage, an asymmetric supercapacitor was assembled using the engineered electrode and activated carbon as the cathode and anode, respectively. The ZIF-8@GO nanostructure device demonstrated outstanding energy storage capability, maintaining a high specific capacitance of 165.29F/g at 1 A/g. Additionally, the device exhibited remarkable stability and endurance after 20,000 cycles, retaining 87.47% of its initial value. The promising electrochemical performance and ability of ZIF-8@GO nanocomposite to maintain capacitance across multiple cycles suggest a potential for advanced supercapacitor electrode materials.

Developing advanced oxygen electrodes for reversible protonic ceramic electrochemical cells via controlled bismuth doping on diverse perovskite lattice positions

The development of reversible protonic ceramic electrochemical cells (R-PCECs) is hampered by insufficient oxygen electrode activity. This study addresses this challenge by introducing bismuth (Bi) into different lattice sites (A-site, B-site, or both) of Ba(Co0.7Fe0.3)0.85Ta0.15O3-δ (BCFT) to develop novel oxygen electrode materials. Extensive characterizations and density functional theory calculations demonstrate that introducing Bi onto the B-site promotes oxygen vacancy formation and hydration, facilitates proton transportation and improves oxygen exchange ability, leading to the enhanced catalytic activity. In contrast, Bi on the A-site hinders performance. R-PCEC using Ba(Co0.7Fe0.3)0.75Bi0.10Ta0.15O3-δ (B-BCFT) oxygen electrode achieves exceptional performance in fuel cell (1.485 W cm−2 at 650 °C) and electrolysis modes (−1.839 A cm−2 at 1.4 V and 650 °C). Notably, B-BCFT demonstrates outstanding operational stability, lasting for 150 h in both modes and enduring 35 cycles of reversible operation. These results make B-BCFT a promising oxygen electrode material candidate for R-PCECs.

Synthesis and surface engineering of carbon-modified cobalt ferrite for advanced supercapacitor electrode materials

The precise design and surface modification of electrode materials are crucial challenges for advancing the supercapacitor technology. In this study, we report a straightforward two-step process for the synthesis of a cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4)/carbon hetero nanostructure. The CoFe2O4 nanoparticles were first synthesized using a simple chemical oxidation method, followed by carbon modification using glucose. The modified samples were calcined at 400 and 600 °C for 4 h in N2 atmosphere to optimize the structural and electrochemical properties.. The increase in the grain size of carbon modified cobalt ferrite magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) was observed from 22 to 28 nm with post annealing temperature. The presence of carbon was confirmed by the FTIR spectroscopy, FESEM and TEM analyses. The carbon decoration on the cobalt ferrite partially showed a core–shell like morphology. The saturation magnetization of bare cobalt ferrite was observed to be 76 emu/g and the same was decreased by the surface modification with carbon. A high specific capacitance of 323 F/g was observed for the carbon-modified cobalt ferrite MNPs annealed at 600 °C. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis demonstrated that the charge-transfer resistance (Rct) decreased significantly in the carbon-modified CoFe2O4 MNPs, particularly for the sample annealed at 600 °C, with an Rct value of 17 Ω. The carbon layer effectively enhanced conductivity and reduced the electrode/electrolyte interface, led to the improved electrochemical performance, as reflected in the enhanced specific capacitance. An improved capacitance retention of 84 % was achieved in the case of carbon-modified cobalt ferrite MNPs based electrode even after 4000 cycles. The study suggested that the prepared carbon-modified cobalt ferrite MNPs stand in the limelight as a better candidate electrode material for the electrochemical applications.

Electroactive covalent linkers for enhancing conducting polymer adhesion, charge transfer, and biological integration of PEDOT-coated carbon microfibers

Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT)-coated carbon microfibers (PCMFs) are a key technology for developing advanced neuroprosthetic electrodes and electroactive tissue scaffolds. However, for their successful application in human therapeutics, PEDOT adhesion to the carbon substrate must be enhanced without compromising electric charge transfer. Here, electrically functional linkers are synthesized to modify the surface at the nanoscale, facilitating the covalent bonding of EDOT to carbon. The properties of the resulting microfibers are compared before and after PEDOT polymerization. PCMFs deterioration is studied by applying controlled mechanical stress in vitro or by implanting them in the rodent spinal cord in vivo. Amino phenyl-EDOT derivatives allow for efficient covalent carbon surface functionalization and PEDOT electropolymerization but substantially reduce charge transfer as assessed by chronopotentiometry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry. Nevertheless, the azido-EDOT (EDOT-Ph-N3) derivative is similarly effective for carbon surface modification, enabling PEDOT polymerization to develop a nanostructured CMF surface based on robust covalent bonds, and enhancing both electric charge transfer and PEDOT adhesion to the carbon substrate. This makes PCMFs more resistant to polymer delamination when assessed in vitro or when implanted into the neural tissue. Azido-EDOT modified PCMFs also show excellent biological integration within the spinal cord, causing negligible tissue damage and cell reactivity. Overall, azido-EDOT provides a superior electroconducting linker for anchoring PEDOT and optimizes the electrical, mechanical, and biological performance of PCMFs.

In situ growth of MnO2 on graphitized cellulose nanocrystal: A novel coaxial heterostructures with unblocked conductive networks as advanced electrode materials for supercapacitor

Manganese dioxide (MnO2) with high theoretical capacitance and natural abundance has attracted great attention but is still challenging for use in supercapacitors, due to the limited conductivity and lower electron and ion migration. Here, a facile in situ growth strategy is developed to prepare heterostructural graphitized cellulose nanocrystal (GCNC)/MnO2 with unblocked conductive networks through a hydrothermal reaction. The GCNC with highly ordered graphitic carbon layers as conductive support framework solves the agglomeration problem of MnO2 and increases effective specific surface areas in contact with electrolyte ions. Meanwhile, the stable connection of MnOC covalent bonds enhances the interface bonding, which effectively reduces the contact resistance at the interface of heterostructural GCNC/MnO2 and enhances the interface firmness. The resulting GCNC/MnO2 electrode shows a remarkable specific capacitance of 528.2 F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1. Furthermore, the symmetric supercapacitor based on GCNC/MnO2-15 mM exhibits high rate capability and excellent cycle stability of 100 % capacitance retention after 3000 cycles. This work provides a new path to designing high performance electrode material for sustainable energy technologies.

Flower‐Like NiCo/rGO Effective Nanocomposite for High‐Performance Supercapacitors

AbstractNovel electrode materials with unique architectures are always favored to improve the capacity and energy density of supercapacitors. Herein, we have designed a composition of transition metal and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) as advanced electrode for enhanced‐performance supercapacitors. Particularly, a facile one‐pot hydrothermal approach was applied for in‐situ growth of NiCo/rGO composite. It displayed the best electrochemical performance attributing to the three‐dimensional flower‐like architecture in combination with conductive rGO. Among all the electrodes, NiCo/rGO exhibited impressive areal capacitance of 2565 mF/cm2 at a current density of 1 mA/cm2, and a high energy density of μWh/cm2 at a power density of 200 μW/cm2. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy confirms feasible charge transfer kinetics at the interface with small internal resistance and rapid diffusion, resulting an improved electrochemical performance.

Facilitating Ion Storage and Transport Pathways by In Situ Constructing 1D Carbon Nanotube Electric Bridges between 2D MXene Interlayers.

Multiple van der Waals (vdW) gaps invoke abundant opportunities for contriving artificial architectures and tailoring desired properties via the intercalation route beyond the reach of conventional concepts. Intriguingly, the electrochemical intercalation strategy can precisely and reversibly tune the intercalation stage of charged functional species. This study presents a valid structural editing protocol facilitated by electrochemical intercalation to engineer MXene interlayers, ultimately incorporating in situ constructed carbon nanotube (CNT) electric bridges for enhanced ion storage and transport pathways. The method allows for the precise modulation of electrochemical forces to tailor materials for specific applications. Deep intercalation and in situ growth processes establish robust anchoring sites and connectivity hubs between MXenes and CNTs, ensuring structural homogeneity and stability in advanced electrode materials. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of electrochemistry-mediated interlayer nanoengineering in MXenes, offering a versatile approach to design vdW heterostructures with tailored functionalities for energy storage and conversion applications. This work highlights the potential of electrochemical modulation in advancing materials engineering strategies for next-generation energy storage technologies.

Enhanced detection of glyphosate with a Co-MOF integrated opto-electrochemical sensor

Abstract This study presents a new method for detecting the organophosphorus pesticide glyphosate using advanced scanning electrodes (SPE) and enhanced fluorescence. Metal-organic frameworks from cobalt ions were synthesized using a solvothermal method. It is characterized using Raman spectroscopy, FT-IR, and X-ray diffraction techniques. The electrocatalytic behavior of the materials was studied using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) examined the positive response of plants to glyphosate over a concentration range of 0.55–5.95 mM with a detection limit of 0.334 mM. The fluorescence enhancement ranges from 0.07 mM to 0.67 mM, and the detection limit is 0.0998 mM. Additionally, the selectivity of the proposed opto-electrochemical sensor was evaluated. This selection demonstrates the sensor's ability to detect glyphosate in complex wastewater matrices. This has important implications for environmental monitoring. By addressing glyphosate contamination, the sensor could significantly advance ecological remediation and monitoring strategies. The selectivity, sensitivity, and ability to operate under harsh conditions represent a significant advance in the development of efficient and reliable glyphosate technology for wastewater treatment and environmental protection. In real-sample matrices, the suggested sensor showed a good recovery of the pesticide that had been spiked.

Unraveling the Electrochemical Insights of Cobalt Oxide/Conducting Polymer Hybrid Materials for Supercapacitor, Battery, and Supercapattery Applications.

This review article focuses on the potential of cobalt oxide composites with conducting polymers, particularly polypyrrole (PPy) and polyaniline (PANI), as advanced electrode materials for supercapacitors, batteries, and supercapatteries. Cobalt oxide, known for its high theoretical capacitance, is limited by poor conductivity and structural degradation during cycling. However, the integration of PPy and PANI has been proven to enhance the electrochemical performance through improved conductivity, increased pseudocapacitive effects, and enhanced structural integrity. This synergistic combination facilitates efficient charge transport and ion diffusion, resulting in improved cycling stability and energy storage capacity. Despite significant progress in synthesis techniques and composite design, challenges such as maintaining structural stability during prolonged cycling and scalability for mass production remain. This review highlights the synthesis methods, latest advancements, and electrochemical performance in cobalt oxide/PPy and cobalt oxide/PANI composites, emphasizing their potential to contribute to the development of next-generation energy storage devices. Further exploration into their application, especially in battery systems, is necessary to fully harness their capabilities and meet the increasing demands of energy storage technologies.

Construction of Low‐Softening‐Point Coal Pitch Derived Carbon Nanofiber Films as Self‐Standing Anodes Toward Sodium Dual‐Ion Batteries

AbstractTo achieve high‐quality hard carbon nanofibers (HCNFs), and particularly flexible HCNFs films is the eternal pursuit from low‐cost coal pitch (CP). However, it is still trapped seriously by the inborn bottleneck of low‐softening‐point (LSP) characteristics of CP itself. Herein, an efficient Bi(NO3)3·5H2O‐assisted electrospinning‐carbonization methodology is creatively devised to obtain flexible HCNFs films directly from LSP CP. The essential roles of Bi(NO3)3·5H2O and pre‐oxidation in constructing flexible films are rationally proposed. With further regulation in Bi(NO3)3·5H2O dosage and calcination temperatures, specific micro‐structures/morphologies of flexible HCNFs films are finely optimized. The optimum HCNFs‐1.2 film is endowed with robust structural flexibility/stability, high‐content active oxygen/nitrogen groups, abundant graphic microcrystalline zones of large interlayer spacing, and convenient ion‐diffusion channels. Thanks to such remarkable merits, HCNFs‐1.2 retains a large reversible capacity of 125.3 mAh g‒1 over 1000 cycles at 1.0 A g‒1, when evaluated as a self‐supporting film anode for sodium dual‐ion batteries (SDIBs). Furthermore, the HCNFs‐1.2‐based SDIBs deliver a specific capacity of 90.9 mAh g‒1 at 0.1 A g‒1, along with a capacity retention of 78.4% after 1500 cycles at 1.0 A g‒1. The insightful understanding here will provide meaningful guidance for rational design of advanced flexible film electrodes toward next‐generation SDIBs and beyond.

Rational design of MoS2 nanoflowers-decorated carbon nanofibers with enhanced electronic transmission for boosting capacitive deionization

Capacitive deionization (CDI) has sparked considerable interest for its promising application in handling brackish water. Unfortunately, most traditional carbonaceous materials are still plagued by the limited desalination capacity and sluggish adsorption kinetics with the single adsorption mechanism and irrational pore structure. Herein, we developed a facile and affordable strategy to integrate electrospinning with hydrothermal method to fabricate MoS2 nanoflowers-decorated carbon nanofibers (MoS2/CNF) composite for boosting desalination performance. CNF not only serves as a supportive framework to inhibit the agglomeration of MoS2 nanosheets favoring the full contact with salt solutions, but also typically diminishes the charge transfer resistance of the composite. By taking advantage of the double layer adsorption of CNF and the hierarchically micro-mesoporous structure of MoS2 nanoflowers with large interlayer spacer for salt ions intercalation, the optimized sample MoS2/CNF-1 employed as a cathode for the asymmetric hybrid CDI cell showed an eminent capacity for desalination of 30.9 mg·g−1, an ultrafast rate for desalination of 3.7 mg·g−1·min−1, and an attractive circulation stability for desalination with the capacity reservation remaining at 94.8 % after 30 cycles in the solution of 500 mg·L−1 NaCl at 1.2 V. This research sheds fresh light on the evolution of advanced CDI electrode materials for practical utilization.

Improvement of Capacitive Accelerometers: Integrating Modeling, Electrode Design, Signal Processing, and Material Selection

This work offers a thorough method for integrating advanced modeling, electrode design, signal processing, and material selection techniques to maximize the performance of capacitive accelerometers. Key performance measures, including noise reduction, sensitivity, and range, can be systematically analyzed and simulated to forecast how design decisions would affect the overall behavior of the sensor. Advanced electrode designs greatly increase capacitance, which results in more precise and trustworthy sensor readings. These designs include optimizing the shape and using high-permittivity materials. Furthermore, to guarantee that the accelerometer’s output precisely represents actual motion even in noisy surroundings, noise reduction strategies including filtering and digital signal processing methods are essential. Additionally, calibration is emphasized as a critical step in preserving measurement accuracy over time and accounting for environmental changes and sensor drift. The choice of material, with an emphasis on thermally stable and high-permittivity materials, is crucial in determining the capacitance, sensitivity, and durability of the sensor. The study offers a paradigm for the creation of capacitive accelerometers that perform better across a variety of applications by striking a balance between these variables.

Design and fabrication of Bi2S3/Gr composite materials for investigating the performance of hybrid supercapacitors as advanced battery-type electrodes

Design and fabrication of Bi2S3/Gr composite materials for investigating the performance of hybrid supercapacitors as advanced battery-type electrodes

For elements-utilization regeneration of spent LiFePO4: Designed basic precursors for advanced polycrystal electrode materials

Spent lithium iron phosphate (LFP) is commonly recovered by hydrometallurgy to prepare Li2CO3 and FePO4, but suffering from long process and low value-added products. Hydrothermal method avoids element separation and regenerates LFP materials directly from leaching solution of spent LFP. However, it requires three-time the theoretical amount of lithium. In this study, using LiFePO4(OH) (LFPOH) as a medium, LFP materials were regenerated with theoretical amount of lithium in virtue of energetically favorable reaction of Li-ions into the internal structure. The formation mechanism of LFPOH and LFP materials were investigated, and advanced polycrystal LFP materials with fast ions-diffusion ability and high reversibility were obtained. The capacities of recovered LFP materials are 156.17 mAh g−1, 148.51 mAh g−1, 138.34 mAh g−1, 124.1 mAh g−1 at 0.2 C, 0.5 C, 1 C and 2 C, respectively and their capacity could be remained 139.92 mAh g−1 at 1 C with retention of almost 100 % after 200 cycles. Moreover, with the assistance of economic analysis, the designed regenerated path displayed considerable recycling value-potential, especially the reducing of Li-resources (from three-time to one-time). This study sheds light on designing polycrystal recovered LFP with help of basic medium, whilst provides an effective strategy for preparing high-performance LFP materials.

The potassium storage performance of carbon nanosheets derived from heavy oils

As by-products of petroleum refining, heavy oils are characterized by a high carbon content, low cost and great variability, making them competitive precursors for the anodes of potassium ion batteries (PIBs). However, the relationship between heavy oil composition and potassium storage performance remains unclear. Using heavy oils containing distinct chemical groups as the carbon source, namely fluid catalytic cracking slurry (FCCS), petroleum asphalt (PA) and deoiled asphalt (DOA), three carbon nanosheets (CNS) were prepared through a molten salt method, and used as the anodes for PIBs. The composition of the heavy oil determines the lamellar thicknesses, sp3-C/sp2-C ratio and defect concentration, thereby affecting the potassium storage performance. The high content of aromatic hydrocarbons and moderate amount of heavy component moieties in FCCS produce carbon nanosheets (CNS-FCCS) that have a smaller layer thickness, larger interlayer spacing (0.372 nm), and increased number of folds than in CNS derived from the other three precursors. These features give it faster charge/ion transfer, more potassium storage sites and better reaction kinetics. CNS-FCCS has a remarkable K+ storage capacity (248.7 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles at 0.1 A g−1), long cycle lifespan (190.8 mAh g−1 after 800 cycles at 1.0 A g−1) and excellent rate capability, ranking it among the best materials for this application. This work sheds light on the influence of heavy oil composition on carbon structure and electrochemical performance, and provides guidance for the design and development of advanced heavy oil-derived carbon electrodes for PIBs.

Rational synthesis of vertical graphene supported TiN@N-Li4Ti5O12 as advanced high-rate electrodes for lithium-ion batteries

The Li4Ti5O12 (LTO) is demonstrated to be one of the most promising anode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) to provide safe and high-power density cells but suffer from poor electrical conductivity. In this study, we present a TiN-decorated N-LTO on a vertical graphene (VG) array (TiN@N-LTO) as a potential anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The use of atomic layer deposition (ALD) enables the formation of a thin layer of LTO on VG, with precise control over the thickness. The VG serves as highly conductive channels, facilitating the transfer of electrons. Moreover, the introduction of nitrogen heteroatoms into the LTO under an active N2 plasma atmosphere has been shown to enhance its intrinsic conductivity, which is achieved by reducing the bandgap and expanding the diffusion pathways of ions. Concurrently, a small number of metallic TiN are formed and deposited on the surface of N-LTO, thereby further improving its conductivity. COMSOL simulations and DFT calculations demonstrate that the introduced TiN acts as a "conductive bridge", improving the charge distribution of LTO electrodes and enhancing the Li+ transport rate. The TiN@N-LTO exhibits a high rate performance (169.51, 131.61 and 101.08 mAh/g at 0.2, 2 and 20 C, respectively) and remarkable cycling stability (a capacity retention of 99.6% after 5000 cycles at 10 C).