A three dimensional (3D) Si/TiO2–Ti2O3 composite has been synthetically prepared on micro-fabricated Si nanorod arrays (NRs) by a solvothermal method. Improved electrochemical performances were achieved with this composite as the anode in lithium ion batteries compared to the individual Si NRs electrode, which benefited from the volume alleviating effect in the TiO2 thin sheath and better conductivity in Ti2O3 grains. This novel nanostructured composite presents great potential in applications in micro/nano-electro-mechanic systems (M/NEMS), photovoltaic and photocatalytic devices.
