Titanium nitride as a promising sodium-ion battery anode: interface-confined preparation and electrochemical investigation

Abstract

The search for new electrode materials for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), especially for enhancing the specific capacity and cycling stability of anodes, is of great significance for the development of new energy conversion and storage materials. Here, a new type of titanium nitride composite anode (TiN@C) coated with 2D carbon nanosheets was prepared for the first time using a rationally designed topochemical conversion approach of interface-confinement. Subsequently, the electrochemical performance and Na⁺ storage mechanism of TiN@C as an anode for SIBs was investigated. The quantum-dot-sized TiN anodes exhibited shorter ionic transport pathways, while the 2D ultrathin carbon nanosheets reinforced the structural stability of the composite and provided a high electron transformation rate. As a result, the TiN/C composite anode can deliver a high reversible capacity of 170 mA h g⁻¹ and 149 mA h g⁻¹ after 5000 cycles at a current density of 0.5 A g⁻¹ and 1 A g⁻¹, indicating excellent electrochemical properties. This work provides new opportunities to explore the convenient and controllable preparation of metal nitride anodes for other energy conversion and storage applications.