Impressive lithium storage of SnO2@TiO2 nanospheres with a yolk-like core derived from self-assembled SnO2 nanoparticles

A unique structure of yolk-like SnO2@TiO2 nanospheres has been fabricated via SnO2 nanoparticles self-assembled into a core during calcination process. Moreover, this as-prepared composite owns a mesoporous structure, which can accelerate the diffusion of both electrons and lithium-ions by providing a high electrode-electrolyte contact area. When evaluated as anode material for lithium-ion batteries, the SnO2@TiO2 gives a high reversible capacity of 472.7 mAh g−1 even at 2 A g−1 after 800 cycles, exhibiting significantly improved electrochemical performance. This work may provide a broader vision into fabricating yolk-like SnO2@TiO2 heterostructures for high-performance anode materials of lithium-ion batteries.