Preparation of TiNb6O17 nanospheres as high-performance anode candidates for lithium-ion storage

Abstract This work reports the preparation of TiNb 6 O 17 nanospheres via a facile electrostatic spraying route and their lithium storage mechanism. When selected as anode material in half-cell, TiNb 6 O 17 nanospheres possess the high capacity, extraordinary rate performance, and outstanding cyclability. The results exhibit that TiNb 6 O 17 nanospheres deliver an initial discharge capacity of 245 mAh g −1 with a high Coulombic efficiency of 86.37% at 0.5 C, and even after 150 cycles, a reversible capacity of 159.1 mAh g −1 is kept with Coulombic efficiency close to 100%. The outstanding electrochemical properties of TiNb 6 O 17 nanospheres can be ascribed to their unique morphologies. In addition, the electrochemical kinetics of TiNb 6 O 17 nanospheres is investigated by cyclic voltammetry. The results indicate that their electrochemical behavior is composed of two parts, lithium ion diffusion and pseudo-capacitive characteristic. Furthermore, lithium ion storage mechanism of TiNb 6 O 17 nanospheres is studied by in situ X-ray diffraction instrument, revealing superior electrochemical reversibility and structure stability. Based on the aforementioned measurements, it can be concluded that TiNb 6 O 17 nanospheres have the potential for practical use in lithium ion batteries.