CVD-Synthesized Titanium Carbide Nanoflowers as High-Performance Anodes for Sodium-Ion Batteries

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have emerged as promising candidates for energy storage applications due to the abundance and low cost of sodium. However, the larger radius of sodium ions limits their diffusion kinetics within electrode materials and contributes to electrode volume expansion. Here, we successfully synthesized porous titanium carbide (TiC) nanoflowers through chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The TiC nanoflowers exhibit exceptional electrochemical performance as SIB anodes, with their porous structure enhancing the conductivity, mechanical stability, and Na-ion diffusion. The TiC nanoflowers demonstrate a high reversible specific capacity of 73.5 mAh g^-1 at 1 A g^-1 after 2500 cycles, corresponding to an impressive capacity retention of 80.81%. Additionally, we developed a full sodium-ion cell utilizing TiC nanoflowers as the anode and Na₃V₂(PO₄)₃ as the cathode, which demonstrates a substantial reversible capacity and outstanding cycling stability. Our work presents a promising strategy for synthesizing nanostructured TiC materials as anode electrodes for SIBs.