Conformal carbon coated TiO2 aerogel as superior anode for lithium-ion batteries

A kind of carbon coated TiO2 (TiO2@C) aerogels were synthesized by a designed organic epoxide cross-linking process upon the titania alcogel followed with CO2 supercritical drying and direct carbonization of the organic coatings under argon atmosphere. The achieved composite aerogels were composed of small anatase TiO2 nanocrystals ( similar to 5 nm) coated by conformal ultrathin carbon coatings and showed high specific surface area similar to 235.7 m(2)g(-1) and average pore size similar to 11 nm. As anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), the TiO2@C aerogels exhibited a superior high rate performance and deliver a capacity of 133 mAh g(-1) after 3000 cycles at 10 C. This study supplied a rational and controllable method for the preparation of carbon coated TiO2 aerogel materials and other metal oxide aerogel with conformal carbon coatings which are expected as a promising high-performance anode material for LIBs.