In situ synthesis of TiO2(B) nanotube/nanoparticle composite anode materials for lithium ion batteries.

Titania nanotubes were prepared by a simple hydrothermal route. Their electrochemical performance has been examined in detail and compared to TiO2(B) nanoparticles, TiO2 anatase and P25 titania nanoparticles. The cycling and rate performance of TiO2 nanotubes is superior to both types of nanoparticles, and it can be further improved by an in situ titanium precursor treatment, which results in the formation of TiO2 nanoparticles on/between the nanotubes. The obtained specific capacity after 200 cycles at 0.2 A g(-1) charge/discharge rate remained above 130 mAh g(-1). The enhanced lithium storage properties of these samples can be attributed to their unique morphology and crystal structure.

In situ synthesis of CuxO/SnOx@CNT and CuxO/SnOx@SnO2/CNT nanocomposite anodes for lithium ion batteries by a simple chemical treatment process.

SnO2-based electrodes for lithium ion batteries (LIBs) typically exhibit high initial specific capacity but poor cycling performance. A possible strategy to improve the cycling performance is to prepare nanocomposites containing SnO2. Here we demonstrate a straightforward method to prepare composites containing SnOx and CuxO by a simple chemical treatment of the LIB electrode on copper foil. The in situ formation of a multiphase composite results in a dramatic improvement in the cycling performance, so that specific capacities exceeding 580 and 800 mA·h/g can be obtained after 70 charge/discharge cycles for CuxO/SnOx@CNT and CuxO/SnOx@SnO2/CNT electrodes, respectively (compared to <100 mA·h/g for pure SnO2). The capacity retention achieved at the 70th cycle compared to the 2nd cycle was 96% for the CuxO/SnOx@CNT electrode. The mechanisms responsible for the formation of a composite material and the improvement in the performance are discussed.