General synthesis and electrochemical performance of TiO2-based microspheres with core-shell structure

A facile general route is developed to fabricate TiO2-based microspheres with a core-shell structure. The electrochemical performance of the as-prepared composite as an anode material is investigated by galvanostatic method. It is demonstrated that Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/TiO2 microspheres present a better discharge and cycle performance compared with blank TiO2 and carbon/TiO2 microspheres. At a current density of 2000 mA g(-1), the discharge capacity of Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/TiO2 microspheres can be stably retained at 130 mAh g(-1) after the 40th cycle. Its excellent electrochemical performance can be attributed to the mesoporous hierarchical structure and introduction of Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) buffer layer. Crown Copyright (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.