High-rate aluminium yolk-shell nanoparticle anode for Li-ion battery with long cycle life and ultrahigh capacity

Alloy-type anodes such as silicon and tin are gaining popularity in rechargeable Li-ion batteries, but their rate/cycling capabilities should be improved. Here by making yolk-shell nanocomposite of aluminium core (30 nm in diameter) and TiO2 shell (B3 nm in thickness), with a tunable interspace, we achieve 10C charge/discharge rate with reversible capacity exceeding 650mAh g 1 after 500 cycles, with a 3mg cm 2 loading. At 1 C, the capacity is approximately 1,200mAh g 1 after 500 cycles. Our one-pot synthesis route is simple and industrially scalable. This result may reverse the lagging status of aluminium among high-theoretical-capacity anodes. DOI: 10.1038/ncomms8872 OPEN