Synthesis of TiO2@C nanospheres with excellent electrochemical properties

Abstract

TiO₂@C nanospheres are synthesized through annealing a mixture of tetrabutyl titanate and oleic acid, as the titanium and carbon source, respectively. The as-synthesized TiO₂@C with higher carbon content presents a superior specific capacity (286.5 mA h g⁻¹ at 100 mA g⁻¹ after 200 cycles) and higher rate performance (148 mA h g⁻¹ at 500 mA g⁻¹), when tested as the anode material for lithium ion batteries. The as-synthesized TiO₂@C nanospheres are promising anode materials for next-generation LIBs.