Na2Ti6O13 Nanorods with Dominant Large Interlayer Spacing Exposed Facet for High-Performance Na-Ion Batteries

As the delegate of tunnel structure sodium titanates, Na2Ti6O13 nanorods with dominant large interlayer spacing exposed facet are prepared. The exposed large interlayers provide facile channels for Na+ insertion and extraction when this material is used as anode for Na-ion batteries (NIBs). After an activation process, this NIB anode achieves a high specific capacity (a capacity of 172 mAh g(-1) at 0.1 A g(-1)) and outstanding cycling stability (a capacity of 109 mAh g(-1) after 2800 cycles at 1 A g(-1)), showing its promising application on large-scale energy storage systems. Furthermore, the electrochemical and structural characterization reveals that the expanded interlayer spacings should be in charge of the activation process, including the enhanced kinetics, the lowered apparent activation energy, and the increased capacity.