Plant-cell oriented few-layer MoS2/C as high performance anodes for lithium-ion batteries

MoS2 with layered structure and high theoretical capacity (670 mAh·g−1) has attracted great attention as a potential anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, the intrinsic low electronic conductivity and structural collapse during the lithiation/delithiation process hinder its practical application. In this study, a few-layer MoS2 decorated biocarbon (MoS2/C) was exquisitely constructed employing petal cells as structure-directing agents. In the synthesis process, nucleation and growth of MoS2 were restricted in the confined space of petal cells, and thus MoS2 nanosheets (about 3–8 layers) grew vertically and dispersed uniformly on the petal-cell derived biocarbon matrix. The special structure effectively alleviates volume expansion and restack of MoS2 during the lithiation/delithiation process, while the in situ generated biocarbon improves the conductivity of electrode, thus boosting electron transportation and Li+ diffusivity. Moreover, theoretical calculations reveal the lower Li+ migration barrier energies and improved Li+ diffusion kinetics in MoS2/C hetero-layer. Consequently, the MoS2/C exhibits remarkable rate performance and cycle stability, showing a superior reversible capacity (951 mAh·g−1 over 500 cycles at 100 mA·g−1) much larger than bulk MoS2 (108 mAh·g−1) and biocarbon (355 mAh·g−1). This study provides a convenient and effective strategy to design advanced electrodes for the next-generation energy storage and conversion systems.