Hybrid nanoarchitecture of rutile TiO2 nanoneedle/graphene for advanced lithium-ion batteries

• Rutile TiO2/rGO composite was fabricated by a hydrothermal route.
• TiO2 nanoneedles have a uniform dispersion on the interlayer of rGO nanosheets.
• TiO2/rGO composite exhibited enhanced cycling stability and rate performance.
• rGO promoted Li+ mobility and kept the structural integrity of electrode.

In this paper, rutile TiO2 nanoneedle/graphene composites with a unique one dimensional/two dimensional (1D/2D) hybrid nanostructure were prepared via a facile hydrothermal route. These obtained rutile TiO2 nanoneedles with the length of ~ 500 nm have a homogeneous dispersion on the interlayers of graphene nanosheets. As the anodic materials, the as-prepared sample exhibited the superior Li storage capability with good cycling stability (over 94% capacity retention) and remarkable rate performance (149 mA h g− 1 at a 5 C rate). The improved electrochemical performance can be attributed to the unique microstructure. On the one hand, 1D rutile TiO2 nanoneedles shorten the length of Li+ transport paths to achieve a higher Li+ diffusion rate. On the other hand, 2D graphene sheets provide good electronic contacts to reduce the contact resistance, as well as keep the structural integrity of the electrode materials.