Hybrid nanoarchitecture of rutile TiO2 nanoneedle/graphene for advanced lithium-ion batteries

In this paper, rutile TiO2 nanoneedle/graphene composites with a unique one dimensional/two dimensional (1D/2D) hybrid nanostructure were prepared via a facile hydrothermal route. These obtained rutile TiO2 nanoneedles with the length of similar to 500 nm have a homogeneous dispersion on the interlayers of graphene nanosheets. As the anodic materials, the as-prepared sample exhibited the superior Li storage capability with good cycling stability (over 94% capacity retention) and remarkable rate performance (149 mA h g(-1) at a 5 Crate). The improved electrochemical performance can be attributed to the unique microstructure. On the one hand, 1D rutile TiO2 nanoneedles shorten the length of Li+ transport paths to achieve a higher Li+ diffusion rate. On the other hand, 2D graphene sheets provide good electronic contacts to reduce the contact resistance, as well as keep the structural integrity of the electrode materials. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.