Preparation of hollow microsphere@onion-like solid nanosphere MoS2 coated by a carbon shell as a stable anode for optimized lithium storage

Abstract

A one-step hydrothermal method was successfully used to fabricate hollow microsphere@onion-like solid nanosphere MoS₂. Then the as-prepared sS-MoS₂ was decorated with a carbon shell using dopamine as a carbon source by a facile route, resulting in hollow microsphere@onion-like solid nanosphere MoS₂ decorated with carbon shell (sS-MoS₂@C). A synergistic effect was observed for the two-component material, leading to new electrochemical processes for lithium storage, with improved electroconductivity and structural soundness, triggering an ascending capacity upon cycling. The as-prepared sS-MoS₂@C exhibits optimized electrochemical behaviour with high specific capacity (1107 mA h g⁻¹ at 100 mA g⁻¹), superior high-rate capability (805 mA h g⁻¹ at 5000 mA g⁻¹) and good cycling stability (91.5% of capacity retained after 100 cycles), suggesting its potential application in high-energy lithium-ion batteries.