Facile preparation of 3-dimensional interweaved anatase TiO2 hollow nanowires and its lithium storage properties

•3-dimensional interweaved TiO2 hollow nanowires were fabricated by a facile strategy.•This structure can buffer the volume change and facilitate Li+ and e− diffusion.•This TiO2 anode presented effective physical buffer ability and conductivity.•It delivered a capacity of 180.8, 153.3 mAh g−1 at 0.2 C and 2 C, respectively.•It exhibited a desirable rate capability.

To overcome the issue of inferior practical capacity and electronic conductivity for titanium dioxide (TiO2) anode materials in lithium-ion batteries, an effective strategy is explored to fabricate a nanostructured TiO2 with large specific surface area and confined dimension, considering the nanostructure to achieve increased contact interface between the active materials and the electrolyte, restricted agglomeration of TiO2, enhanced structure stability, shortened diffusion distance of lithium-ion and electron, contributing to desirable electrochemical properties. Herein, we have prepared an intriguing nanostructure of 3-dimensional interweaved anatase TiO2 hollow nanowires (denoted as HNW TiO2) by a facile strategy. When tested as potential anode materials for lithium-ion batteries, this nanostructured HNW TiO2 delivers a reversible capacity of 180.8, 153.3 mAh g−1 at current rate of 0.2 C and 2 C, respectively, indicating good lithium storage performance, which should be benefited from its unique architecture.