Rational Design of Hierarchical TiO2/Epitaxially Aligned MoS2-Carbon Coupled Interface Nanosheets Core/Shell Architecture for Ultrastable Sodium-Ion and Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

The development of electrode materials with superior cycling stability is currently receiving intensive research for next-generation portable electronic equipment. Herein, a novel 3D hierarchical architecture composed of TiO2/epitaxially aligned MoS2-carbon coupled interface nanosheets is reported for boosting sodium-ion storage and lithium-sulfur batteries, in which the MoS2 nanosheets are epitaxially aligned grown on the surface of carbon nanosheets through a simple calculation conversion process. The resulting hybrid demonstrates ultralong-life performance for sodium-ion storage and lithium-sulfur batteries, owing to synergistic effects among the stable TiO2 nanowires, the high-conductivity carbon nanosheets, and the vertical MoS2 nanostructure. Even at a high current density of 8 A g(-1), the capacity can be maintained at 169 mA h g(-1) after 15 000 cycles, one of the highest values for TiO2-based electrodes. Moreover, such peculiar sheet-on-sheet structure also brings benefits for lithium-sulfur batteries, providing an effective physical shield against polysulfide shuttling and chemical adsorption of polysulfides, with a low fading rate (0.039% per cycle over 1500 cycles). The present work highlights that this rationally designed hybrid nanoarchitecture is an effective strategy to boost the stability of electrochemical energy storage.