Aerosol synthesis of trivalent titanium doped titania/carbon composite microspheres with superior sodium storage performance

Abstract

Trivalent titanium doped titania/carbon (TiO2–x/C) composite microspheres have been prepared by a facile aerosol method (ultrasonic spray pyrolysis) using titanium (IV) bis(ammonium lactato)dihydroxide (TiBALDH) as the sole precursor. The obtained TiO2–x/C microspheres have particle sizes in the range of 400–1,000 nm. When evaluated as anode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), they provide a high reversible capacity of 286 mA·h·g−1 with good cycling performance. A capacity of 249 mA·h·g−1 can be achieved after 180 cycles at 50 mA·g−1, which is more than three times higher than that of white TiO2 microspheres (77 mA·h·g−1). The superior sodium storage performance of these TiO2–x/C composite microspheres can be attributed to the simultaneous introduction of Ti3+ and oxygen vacancies, ultrafine grain size, as well as the conductive carbon matrix. This study provides a facile and effective approach for the production of TiO2–x/C nanocomposites with superior sodium storage performance.