A sandwich structure of mesoporous anatase TiO2 sheets and reduced graphene oxide and its application as lithium-ion battery electrodes

Abstract

Mesoporous anatase TiO₂ sheets/rGO sandwich-like nanocomposites were facile synthesized by acid-assisted tetrabutyl titanate hydrolysis and subsequent thermal reduction process. Structural, morphological, and compositional properties were characterized by various techniques, such as X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric (TG) analysis, and BET surface area analysis. When used as the anode materials of Li-ion batteries, the as-prepared sample delivered reasonable capacity, good cycling stability and rate capability. The optimal sample delivered a high reversible lithium-storage capacity of ∼161.4 mA h g⁻¹ after 50 cycles at a current rate of 0.5 C (1 C = 335 mA g⁻¹), with good cycling stability and rate capability. It is believed that the good electrochemical performance can be attributed to the mesoporous feature, the addition of rGO nanosheets, and the special sandwich-like electrode structure. Therefore, rational design of mesoporous structures and compositing with rGO nanosheets are of importance for improving the lithium-storage performance.