Facile Fabrication of N-Doped TiO₂ Nanoparticles/Carbon Composite with Excellent Electrochemical Properties for Lithium Ion Batteries.

A promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) consisting of ultrafine N-doped TiO₂ nanoparticles and N-doped carbon composite has been prepared by an effective sol-gel-calcined strategy. The synergetic effect between N-doped TiO₂ nanoparticles and N-doped carbon provides not only high conductivity paths and strong electron contact interface, but also supply a large surface area along with hindering the nanoparticles aggregation, resulting in excellent lithium-storage performance. When tested as an anode material for LIBs, a high capacity of 292.7 mAh g can be retained after 50 cycles at 0.5 C. Even at 8 C, a satisfactory capacity of 160.3 mAh g can be delivered. These features suggest the N-doped TiO₂/C composite a viable choice for application as an anode material in high-power LIBs.