, Santa Clara, CA, USA) using monochromatized CuKα as radiation (λ = 1.5418 Å); the data were collected by scanning angles (2θ) from 20° to 60°. N2 adsorption-desorption experiments were tested at 77 K by a Quantachrome autosorb gas-sorption system (Boynton Beach, FL, USA). The morphologies of the as-prepared samples were observed using a Hitachi (H 9000 NAR, Tokyo, Japan) transmission electron microscope (TEM) and a Hitachi S-4800 scan electron microscope (SEM). Characterization The working electrode of LIB was prepared by compressing a

mixture of active materials (80%), acetylene black (10%), and polyvinylidene fluoride (10%) as a binder dissolved in 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone solution onto a copper foil. The pellet was dried in vacuum at 120°C for 10 h and then assembled into a coin cell in an Ar-protected glove box. The electrolyte solution was 1 M LiPF6 dissolved in a mixture Palbociclib of ethylene carbonate (EC) and dimethyl carbonate (DMC), with a volume ratio of EC/DMC = 4:6.

Galvanostatic cycling experiments were conducted to measure the electrode activities using a Maccor selleck inhibitor battery tester system (Tulsa, OK, USA) at room temperature. Cyclic voltammograms (CVs) were carried out with three-electrode cells and recorded from 3.0 to 1.0 V at a scan rate of 0.1 mV s-1 using a CHI 600 electrochemical station (CHI Inc., Austin, TX, USA). Discharge–charge curves were recorded at fixed voltage limits between 3.0 and 1.0 V at various current densities. The specific capacity was calculated based on the total mass of the active materials. Electrochemical

impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements were carried out at the open-circuit voltage state of fresh cells using a CHI600 (Austin, TX, USA) electrochemical workstation. Doxacurium chloride The impedance spectra were recorded potentiostatically by applying an AC voltage of 5-mV amplitude over a frequency range from 100 kHz to 5 mHz. Results and discussion The crystalline structure, morphology, and nanostructure of the products were firstly investigated using XRD, SEM, and TEM, as shown in Figure  1. Figure  1a shows the XRD pattern of the CNTs@TiO2, which shows typical peaks that can be well assigned to anatase TiO2 with characteristic peaks of CNTs, indicating the successful decoration of anatase TiO2 nanoparticles on CNTs. Figure  1b exhibits the typical SEM image of the as-prepared CNTs@TiO2, demonstrating that the samples have a 1D structure with an average diameter of around 200 nm. Figure  1c presents the SEM image of one single CNT@TiO2; one can observe a large number of nanoparticles uniformly decorated on the surface of the nanofiber, which stands in sharp contrast to the carbonaceous modified CNT with a relative smooth surface (Additional file 1: Figure S1). The TiO2-decorated CNTs were additionally confirmed by a typical TEM image (Figure  1d).