Scaffold-regulation buffered MoS2 anode kinetics for high-performance Na-/K-ion storage

Designing a highly conductive scaffold with unique function has great significance in elevating the storage properties of molybdenum sulfide (MoS 2 ) for sodium- and potassium-ion batteries. Herein, we show that forming a three-dimensional (3D) highly conductive dual backbone that consists of titanium nitride nanowires (TiN) coated on 3D carbon fiber (CF) could suppress the poor conductivity of MoS 2 . Theoretical calculations predict that both TiN and CF boost the electronic conductivity, while the MoS 2 will promote high ionic adsorption owing to the suitable adsorption energy. The as-prepared CF@TiN/MoS 2 , with mass loading up to 12.5 mg cm -2 , achieves a high areal capacity of up to 5.40 mAh cm -2 under the current density of 0.6 mA cm -2 for sodium storage. The excellent performance of the hybrid can be attributed to buffer and conductivity enhancer features, allowing Na-ion to directly have contact with the CF@TiN/MoS 2 hybrid. A series of electrochemical analyses including cyclic voltammetry and symmetric cell analyses affirm the significant improvement in transport kinetics. More importantly, the CF@TiN/MoS 2 also achieves a high areal capacity of 3.29 mAh cm -2 under the current density of 0.3 mA cm -2 as anode material for potassium ion batteries (PIBs), demonstrating that the scaffold-regulated strategy is a feasible strategy to enhance the kinetics of MoS 2 -based anodes for secondary-ion batteries and beyond. (c) 2022 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of The editorial office of Journal of Materials Science & Technology.

Automated summary

Designing a highly conductive scaffold with unique function can effectively improve the storage properties of molybdenum sulfide (MoS2) for sodium- and potassium-ion batteries. The study demonstrates that the combination of titanium nitride nanowires (TiN) coated on 3D carbon fiber (CF) forms a highly conductive dual backbone, suppressing the poor conductivity of MoS2. The designed CF@TiN/MoS2 hybrid exhibits excellent performance in terms of high areal capacity and enhanced transport kinetics for both sodium and potassium storage.