Hierarchical core/shell titanium dioxide/molybdenum disulfide nanosheets coupled with carbon architecture for superior lithium/sodium ion storage

The peculiar core/shell structure with abundant interfaces is favorable for Li+/Na+ storage, which can elevate the efficiency of energy storage and conversion. Herein, a unique core/shell structure composite with diverse interfaces was successfully designed and fabricated via a facile coordination reaction combined with thermal treatment. Specially, well-crystallized TiO2 nanoparticles were encapsulated and embedded in carbon nanospheres wrapped with MoS2 nanosheets, leading to abundant interfacial structure and boundaries. Benefitting from the synergistic effect between numerous interfaces and distinctive hierarchal core/shell structure, such a hybrid material possesses fascinating features including ultrafast ion diffusion, plentiful storage active sites and prominent electric conductivity. As a proof of concept, as-prepared samples demonstrated superior reversible lithium storage capacity and hybrid lithium-ion capacitor. What is more, when the material was acted as anode material for SIBs, the discharge capacity maintained at a high capacity of 267.2 mA h g−1 after 1000 cycles at 2.0 A g−1. This work highlights a convenient strategy to synthesize other hybrid materials for electrode materials of energy storage and conversion applications.