Facile synthesis of titanium nitride-graphene nanocomposite and its improved rate-dependent electroactivity with respect to lithium storage

• TiN/G anode shows high capacity and good capacity retention at high C/D rates.
• Effect of C/D rate on electrochemical performance is studied for the first time.
• TiN/G anode demonstrates rate-dependent electrochemical behavior.
• The possible mechanisms for the observed behavior are discussed.
• Anchoring TiN on G promotes energy storage applications in high performance LIBs.

Titanium nitride/graphene nanocomposite as an anode material of lithium ion batteries has been fabricated through the reaction of TiCl4 and NaN3 in supercritical benzene medium followed by ammonia treating at 1000 °C for 10 h. The synthesized TiN/G nanocomposite depicts rate-dependent behavior in such a way that it shows specific capacity of 115 mAh g−1 when is cycled at higher rate (1.6 C) while it shows 76 mAh g−1 when is cycled initially at lower rate (0.2 C) and is subsequently subjected to higher rate (1.6 C). Moreover, TiN/G anode demonstrates capacity retention of 112%, 100%, and 70% after 250 cycles at charge/discharge rates of 1.6, 0.7, and 0.2 C, respectively. This unusual behavior can be due to (i) an affected lithiation/delithiation mechanism and consequently stabilized carbon layered structure, and (ii) less solid electrolyte interface formation. Furthermore, the possible mechanisms of this rate-dependent behavior of TiN/G anode are discussed.

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