Electrochemical characterizations of Co0.5TiOPO4 as anode material for lithium-ion batteries

•Co0.5TiOPO4 anode material was prepared by the sol-gel method directly.•Co0.5TiOPO4/C composite exhibits a capacity of 210 mA h/g for 80 cycles.•An irreversible behavior occurs on the first discharge resulting from Co extrusion.•Both lithium insertion and conversion reaction were involved during the cycling.

Titanium oxyphosphate M0.5TiOPO4 (M=Ni, Cu, Fe) represent a promising candidate as an anode material for the lithium-ion batteries thanks to their good energetic performance and structural stability.In this work, we report on the high capacity of Co0.5TiOPO4/C electrode material. In particular, at C rate, the discharge capacity of more than 210 mA h/g was maintained for 80 charge/discharge cycles. Furthermore, Co0.5TiOPO4/C composite exhibits excellent rate-capability with excellent coulombic efficiency. The outstanding electrochemical performance of Co0.5TiOPO4/C anode material might be attributed to its well crystallinity, controlled morphology due to the sol–gel preparation method, and the particles surface carbon-coating.