Morphology Control of beta-In2S3 from Chrysanthemum-Like Microspheres to Hollow Microspheres: Synthesis and Electrochemical Properties

The morphology control of beta-indium sulfide (beta-In2S3) microspheres has been achieved through a one-step solvothermal route, by simply adjusting the combinations of two additives, n-butanol and Span80. The products show complex hierarchical structures assembled from nanoscaled building blocks. The morphology evolution can be realized on both outside (surface) and inside (hollow cavity) of the microsphere. Electrochemical measurements have shown that these In2S3 microspheres possess higher initial Li intercalation capacity than that of graphitic materials (372 mAh/g). It will be possible to improve the cyclic performances of the anode materials for their applications to practical batteries.