Hydrothermal Synthesis of TiO2(B) Nanowires/CNTs as Anode Material for High Performance Lithium-ion Batteries

A novel TiO2(B) nanowires/carbon nanotubes (TNWs/CNTs) nanocomposite was designed and obtained via a simple hydrothermal reaction. The nanocomposites exhibit unique feature of TiO2(B) nanowires twined with CNTs. The addition of CNTs can increase the electrolyte/electrode contact area and improve the electrical conductivity. Comparing with pure TNWs, the TNWs/CNTs nanocomposites have greatly improved rate capability, it demonstrate high capacity of 355.9, 291.4, 263.8, 235.7 and 191.3 mAh.g(-1), at current rate of 0.2, 0.5, 1, 2 and 5 C, respectively, and the capacity retention ratio is up to 90%. The results suggest the unique nanostructure and highly conductive carbon nanotubes induce excellent electrochemical performance of TNWs/CNTs nanocoposites, and make it a promising anode candidate for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs).