Multilayer coated SiO2@NC@TiN carbon nanofibers as anode with exceptional cycling stability

Abstract

Nanostructure engineering and carbon incorporation can effectively achieve superior lithium storage performance of SiO₂ anode. However, the working operation at high rates and extreme temperatures remains a challenge for SiO₂-based anode. Here, SiO₂@N-doped carbon (SiO₂@NC) nanospheres encapsulated in the TiN/C nanofibers (SiO₂@NC@TiN/C) were fabricated via coaxial electrospinning. The SiO₂@NC@TiN/C with a robust structure and conductive shells exhibited excellent cycling stability and fast Li⁺ diffusion kinetics. The SiO₂@NC@TiN/C electrode delivered a superior rate performance (317.9 mAh g⁻¹) and ultra-long cycle life (284.5 mAh g⁻¹ after 3200 cycles) at 10 A g⁻¹. Furthermore, the SiO₂@NC@TiN/C electrode maintained an excellent cycling stability at 65 ℃ (420.6 mAh g⁻¹ after 300 cycles at 1 A g⁻¹). This research offered an ingenious design way to create a multilayer coated anode, which could exhibit good electrochemical performance under harsh conditions.