Oriented MoS2 Nanoflakes on N-Doped Carbon Nanosheets Derived from Dodecylamine-Intercalated MoO3 for High-Performance Lithium-Ion Battery Anodes

MoS2 is a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) because of its layered structure, analogous to that of graphite, and high lithium storage capacity of 670 mAhg(-1). However, its practical implementation in LIBs is hindered by poor conductivity, large volume change, and possible polysulfide shuttling during cycling. In this work, oriented MoS2 nanoflakes grown on N-doped carbon nanosheets (MoS2/NC) are investigated as high-performance anodes in LIBs. The materials are prepared by annealing dodecylamine-intercalated MoO3 nanosheets under Ar at 400 degrees C, followed by a hydrothermal treatment in the thiourea (CH4N2S) solution at 220 degrees C for 30h. In the MoS2/NC structure, the NC nanosheets constitute a long-range conductive network for fast electron transfer, whereas the oriented MoS2 nanoflakes provide sufficient active sites for Li+ storage and fast Li+ diffusion along the a-b plane. Consequently, the MoS2/NC electrode shows a remarkable capacity of 803 mAhg(-1) at a current density of 100 mAg(-1), a high rate capability of 554 mAhg(-1) at 2000 mAg(-1), and excellent cycle stability. Our results reveal a facile and general method to produce high-performance heterostructured MoS2/NC anodes and the process can be extended to other metal dichalcogenides for future high-performance LIBs.