Polypyrrole and Carbon Nanotube Co‐Composited Titania Anodes with Enhanced Sodium Storage Performance in Ether‐Based Electrolyte

In terms of applications for sodium‐ion batteries, titania shows several compelling features, such as environmental availability, favorable sodiation potential, and long cycle lifespan, but it also possesses several drawbacks such as the low utilization and low initial coulombic efficiency (ICE). A double‐fold carbon incorporation strategy of improving titania anode materials, namely coating titania nanoparticles with polypyrrole (PPY) and integrating them into a carbon nanotube (CNT) network, is introduced. This treatment not only ensures direct contact of individual titania nanoparticles with the conductive components in the composite but also builds a 3D interconnecting CNT framework to facilitate both mass and charge transfer. The TiO2/PPY/CNT composite delivers reversible capacity of 252 and 201 mAh g−1 at 0.1 and 1 C, respectively; achieves an ICE of 70%, which is the highest value so far, in an ether‐based electrolyte; and retains nearly 80% of its capacity in a 3000‐cycle test. Co‐compositing titania with PPY and CNT guarantees both efficient electrical connection of active materials and resilience against cycling, and this strategy is feasible for various electrode materials which usually need carbon incorporation to improve capacity and stabilize cycling. Anatase TiO2 nanoparticles are coated with a conductive polymer (polypyrrole) and then integrated into an interwoven carbon nanotube network. The resultant composite, as an anode for sodium‐ion batteries, delivers significantly enhanced rate capability and shows high cycle stability in an ether‐based electrolytes, and its initial coulombic efficiency outperforms TiO2‐based anodes which have been reported in the literature, so far.