Multi-walled carbon nanotubes induced a controllable TiO2 morphology transformation for high-rate and long-life lithium-ion batteries

We have demonstrate a facile strategy to achieve the controllable morphology transformation of TiO2 induced by the introduction of multi-walled carbon nanotubes. The intervention of functionalized carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is key to the formation of TiO2 nanopompons. Furthermore, the size of the obtained TiO2 nanopompons can be controlled by modulating the CNT amounts. The obtained TiO2 nanopompon-embedded CNT hybrid networks (TNP@CNT HNs) incorporate the advantages of hierarchical nanostructures and 3D interconnected conductive networks, including high surface area, uniform particle/pore size, short Li+ ion/electron transport pathway, and high electronic conductivity. These TNP@CNT HN-based anodes achieve a significant improvement in the insertion/extraction of Li+ ions and electrochemical performances via optimizing the CNT amounts and the size of the TiO2 nanopompons. The lithium-ion batteries based on the optimized TNP@CNT HNs exhibit excellent cycling stability (keeping approximately 200 mA h g−1 after 500 cycles at 2C rate, 1C = 170 mA g−1) and rate performance (approximately 125 mA h g−1 at 20C rate with a capacity retention of 77% after 2000 cycles).