Structural and electrochemical evaluation of a TiO2–graphene oxide based sandwich structure for lithium-ion battery anodes

Abstract

In this paper, we report a rational sandwich composite structure consisting of polyaniline (PANI), amorphous TiO₂ (a-TiO₂), and a GO network as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). After the synthesis of the a-TiO₂–GO composite assisted by laser ablation in liquid, PANI nanorods are vertically grown on the both sides of a-TiO₂–GO nanosheets to obtain a stable sandwich structure. The morphology and components of the composites are confirmed by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. As a typical anode material in LIBs, the fabricated sandwich composites display a high rate capability and long cycle life. A first discharge capacity of 1335 mA h g⁻¹ is shown at 50 mA g⁻¹ and a reversible capacity of 435 mA h g⁻¹ is achieved after 250 cycles at 100 mA g⁻¹. Even at a high cycling rate of 10 A g⁻¹, the sandwich products exhibit a stable capacity of 141 mA h g⁻¹. This effort highlights the design of a sandwich structure using amorphous TiO₂, GO, and PANI nanorods and its potential benefits for LIB application.