Highly reversible lithiation/delithiation in indium antimonide with hybrid buffering matrix

Sb-based intermetallic materials have been extensively studied as electrodes for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) owing to the high discharge capacity and acceptable working voltage range. In this study, InSb nanocrystallites were homogeneously distributed and embedded into a combined matrix of amorphous carbon and rutile TiO2 by a facile two-time ball-milling process. The nanostructure of the composite exhibited a favorable synergistic effect of the three components (InSb: high-capacity active material, TiO2: inorganic crystalline robust matrix, and C: carbonaceous amorphous conductive matrix), which not only supplied a buffering network to suppress the volume expansion of InSb during the Li+ ion intercalation/deintercalation process, but also enhanced the ionic/electronic conductivity of the anode material. Consequently, the InSb-TiO2-C anode delivered a long lifespan and remarkable rate performance. In addition, the anode showed a high reversible discharge capacity of 540 mAh g(-1) even after 400 cycles at a high current rate of 500 mA g(-1). Furthermore, the anode exhibited good capacity retention (87% at 2 A g(-1) relative to the capacity at 0.1 A g(-1)). These results indicate the potential of InSb-TiO2-C nanocomposites for LIBs anode materials.