Synthesis of homogeneous honeycomb MoS2 as the anode material for lithium-ion batteries using chemical vapor deposition and a template method

Abstract

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) is a very useful catalytic material for energy storage. However, the design and synthesis of special morphologies is required to overcome the poor cycle stability of such materials. We synthesized MoS₂ composites embedded with silica using a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technique and silica nanotemplates and obtained a honeycomb MoS₂ nanomaterial with a stable structure and extremely thin single walls. Results of methods including SEM and XRD revealed that honeycomb MoS₂ formed a three-dimensional hollow structure in the bulk phase. With this structure, more spatial positions are exposed during lithium-ion storage, meaning it can accommodate higher energy and facilitate the transmission of lithium ions. The honeycomb MoS₂ developed in this study was demonstrated to have a high capacity and structural stability. The reversible capacity was as high as 680 mA h g⁻¹ after 100 cycles, which is still higher than the theoretical capacity of MoS₂ (670 mA h g⁻¹), with the coulombic efficiency exceeding 99%. Furthermore, the capacity remained at ∼600 mA h g⁻¹ at the 2C rate, demonstrating a superior rate capability. Our study will provide a contribution for studies including the synthesis of MoS₂ with special morphology and the optimization of nanomaterials for energy storage.