Fabrication of Fe2O3@TiO2 core-shell nanospheres as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries

Metal oxide electronics materials possess splendid application prospect in lithium ions battery. In this work, Fe2O3@TiO2 nanospheres are synthesized via a facile chemical co-precipitation method combined with hydrolysis method. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy reveals that the as-prepared Fe2O3@TiO2 is composed of TiO2 as a rigid nanoshell and Fe2O3 as a core. It is found that the TiO2 shell is effective for improving the electrical conductivity and structural stability. This novel core-shell structure showed enhanced electrochemical properties is mainly attributed to the inert TiO2 preventing the Fe2O3 nanoparticles from pulverization and aggregation and the synergistic effects between the Fe2O3 core and TiO2 shell.