Ultrathin metallic phase MoS2 nanosheets decorated hollow carbon spheres for sodium and potassium ions storage

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) has become a very promising anode material due to its expandable interlayer spacing and high theoretical capacity. Herein, metallic phase MoS2 ultrathin nanosheets in-situ grown on chemically activated hollow carbon spheres (HCS) are synthesized. The 3D conductive structures not only improve the conductivity and shorten the ion diffusion path, but also buffer the volume expansion and avoid the agglomeration of the MoS2 nanosheets. Due to the above advantages, this composite electrode shows considerable storage characteristics. When used as the anode for SIBs, the discharge capacity is 296.2 mA h g−1 at a current density of 0.1 A g−1 after 50 cycles. When used as the anode for PIBs, the discharge capacity reaches 287.8 mA h g−1 after 50 cycles at a current density of 0.1 A g−1. The current synthesis strategy provides an alternative route to develop high performance electrodes for sodium and potassium ions storage.