Sb:SnO2@TiO2 Heteroepitaxial Branched Nanoarchitectures for Li Ion Battery Electrodes

High-quality, single-crystalline Sb-doped SnO2 (ATO) nanobelts (NBs) surrounded by very thin and short TiO2 rutile nanorods were synthesized by thermal evaporation followed by chemical bath deposition. An epitaxial relationship between ATO NBs and rutile-phase TiO2 nanorods was clearly demonstrated on the basis of a crystallographic approach through high-resolution transmission electron microscopy analysis. Furthermore, the ATO@TiO2 heteronanostructures as anodes for Li ion batteries showed enhanced cycling stability and superior rate capabilities. These improved electrochemical performances were attributed to beneficial geometrical, structural, and doping effects such as alleviation of volume expansion, epitaxial growth, and high electronic conductivity.