Synthesis of few-layer WS2 by jet cavitation as anode material for lithium ion batteries

In this study, we propose a green, facile, low-cost and scalable industrial method to get good quality tungsten disulfide (WS2) with few-layer structure (Mo-WS2) by jet cavitation process (JC). The characterizations of bare WS2 and as-synthesized Mo-WS2 are carried out by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy (Raman), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) to study its surface morphologies, crystal structure, structural defects and distributions of pore size, lateral and thickness. The average thickness of as-synthesized Mo-WS2 is about 2.4 nm (<10 layers). Finally, we compare electrochemical tests in terms of charge/discharge tests, cyclic voltammetry, cycle life, rate capability and AC impedance for bare WS2 and Mo-WS2. The specific capacity of Mo-WS2 delivered a capacity of 581 mAh g(-1) and 257 mAh g(-1) at 0.1C and 10C, respectively, which are superior to those of bare WS2. AC impedance data further approve that Li+ diffusion coefficient in WS2 could be improved by JC process. All these results confirm that the as-synthesized Mo-WS2 exhibited good electrochemical performance and excellent rate capability performance compared to bare one. These results demonstrate that Mo-WS2 is a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.