In situ sol-gel synthesis of Ti2Nb10O29/C nanoparticles with enhanced pseudocapacitive contribution for a high-rate lithium-ion battery

Ti2Nb10O29/C nanoparticles with a carbon content of 13 wt% and a mean size of 50 nm were fabricated through a convenient and effective in situ sol-gel process. The small grain size and carbon modification can improve the pseudocapacitive effect of the Ti2Nb10O29/C nanoparticles, leading to excellent rate capacity, especially at high current rate. Specifically, the discharge capacity of the Ti2Nb10O29/C electrode is 258.3, 236.0, 216.6, 184.5 and 161.5 mAh center dot g(-1)at different current densities of 1C, 5C, 10C, 20C and 30C. Nevertheless, the discharge capacity of the Ti(2)Nb(10)O(29)electrode is 244.9 mAh center dot g(-1)at 1C, which is rapidly reduced to 89.7 mAh center dot g(-1)at 30C. In addition, the small size and carbon layer of the Ti2Nb10O29/C nanoparticles can supply abundant active sites for Li(+)storage as well as enhance the electronic conductivity and Li(+)diffusion, endowing these nanoparticles with a high discharge capacity and excellent cycle performance. Graphic abstract