TiO 2 -B nanoribbons anchored with NiO nanosheets as hybrid anode materials for rechargeable lithium ion batteries

A new type of TiO 2 -B nanoribbon anchored with NiO nanosheets (TiO 2 @NiO) is synthesized via a hydrothermal process and a subsequent homogeneous precipitation method. XRD analysis indicates that TiO 2 -B and cubic NiO phases exist in the composites. According to SEM images, the morphology of the TiO 2 @NiO hybrid material is unique, similar to that of leaf mosaic in biological systems. According to electrochemical investigations, the nanostructured hybrid material as an anode exhibits superior initial charge/discharge capacity and capacity retentions. The initial discharge capacity of the TiO 2 @NiO hybrid nanostructure is 395 mA h g −1 , and the capacity remains 380 mA h g −1 after 50 charge/discharge cycles, which is about 96.2% capacity retention and 7.8% higher than that of pristine TiO 2 -B nanoribbons.