SnO₂@TiO₂ Heterojunction Nanostructures for Lithium‐Ion Batteries and Self‐Powered UV Photodetectors with Improved Performances

To overcome the issue of inferior cycling stability and rate capacity for SnO 2 anode materials in lithium‐ion batteries, an effective strategy is explored to prepare a hybrid material consisting of rutile SnO 2 nanoparticles and rutile TiO 2 nanorods, considering not only the small lattice mismatch to achieve a better composited lattice structure but also their superior synergistic effect in electrochemical performances. The as‐prepared SnO 2 @TiO 2 material, directly formed on a carbon cloth as a binder‐free anode, exhibits a reversible capacity of 700 mAh g −1 after 100 discharge/charge cycles at 200 mA g −1 , as well as excellent cycling stability and rate capacity. After being calcinated at high temperature, the produced hollow SnO 2 @TiO 2 hybrid microtubes were directly used to fabricate photoelectrochemical (PEC) UV detectors for future devices with self‐powered function. A high photocurrent response of 0.1 mA cm −2 was observed, together with an excellent self‐powered and fast response and “visible blind” characteristics. Such a hybrid material could achieve a complementary effect in lithium‐ion batteries and a superior band gap match in photovoltaic devices, and could consequently be extended to applications such as dye‐sensitized solar cells and supercapacitors.