Flexible MnS-Carbon Fiber Hybrids for Lithium-Ion and Sodium-Ion Energy Storage

Nanostructures can improve battery capacity and cycle life, especially with sulfide electrodes. In this work, a freestanding flexible electrode, consisting of MnS nanoparticles embedded onto carbon nanofibers, was prepared by electrospinning. The produced hybrid was used as an electrode for lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries. MnS nanoparticles have a size of about 5 nm and the particles are evenly distributed in the carbon nanofibers. Carbon nanofibers act as electronic conductors and buffer the volume change, while MnS nanoparticles react through rapid electrochemical reaction. As a Li-ion battery anode, this hybrid electrode exhibits specific capacities from 240 mAh g(-1) at a high current density of 5 Ag-1, up to 600 mAh g(-1) at 200 mA g(-1).