Fabrication of One-Dimensional Sb@TiO2 Composites as Anode Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries

In this work, a coating-reduction route was used to fabricate a one-dimensional (1D) Sb@TiO2 composite in which many discontinuous submicron-sized Sb cores were embedded into the 1D uninterrupted TiO2 shells, accompanied by significant free space between each core and the shell. When evaluated as a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), this as-prepared Sb@TiO2 composite exhibited an initial discharge capacity of 752.2 mAh g(-1) and a reversible capacity of 450.2 mAh g(-1) after 100 repeated cycles at a current density of 100 mA g(-1) (0.15C). Even at a high current density of 2000 mA g(-1) (3C), a discharge capacity of 340.2 mAh g(-1) was achieved. The good cycling stability and rate capability of the obtained Sb@TiO2 composite can be attributed to the synergistic effects between the discontinuous Sb cores and the uninterrupted TiO2 shells, as well as the extra free space between them with good buffering effects to retard the volume changes of Sb during the lithium insertion/extraction. (C) 2016 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.