Core–Shell NiFe 2 O 4 @TiO 2 Nanorods: An Anode Material with Enhanced Electrochemical Performance for Lithium‐Ion Batteries

Hierarchical porous core–shell NiFe 2 O 4 @TiO 2 nanorods have been fabricated with the help of hydrothermal synthesis, chemical bath deposition, and a subsequent calcinating process. The nanorods with an average diameter of 48 nm and length of about 300–600 nm turn out have a highly uniform morphology and are composed of nanosized primary particles. Owing to the synergistic effect of individual constituents as well as the hierarchical porous structure, the novel core–shell NiFe 2 O 4 @TiO 2 nanorods exhibit superior electrochemical performance when evaluated as anode materials for lithium‐ion batteries. At the current density of 100 mA g −1 , the composite exhibits a reversible specific capacity of 1034 mAh g −1 up to 100 charge–discharge cycles, which is much higher than the uncoated NiFe 2 O 4 nanorods. Even when cycled at 2000 mA g −1 , the discharge capacity could still be maintained at 358 mAh g −1 .