Moving toward Smart Hybrid Vertical Carbon/MoS₂ Binder-Free Electrodes for High-Performing Sodium-Ion Batteries

Abstract

Finding potential electrodes with smart construction and design is one of the major tasks in the development of advanced sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) and in bridging the gap by bringing them to realization. In this work, we report on the design of such a binder-free composite anode realized by combining vertical carbon nanotube/molybdenum sulfide (VCNT/MoS 2 ) hybrid nanostructures. The well-aligned vertical nanostructures in the binder-free VCNT/MoS 2 hybrid composite electrode enhance the electrolyte penetration into the electrode and shorten the ion diffusion channels. Moreover, the VCNT provides better ion/ electron conductivity for the electrode. Due to these favorable characteristics, binder-free VCNT/MoS 2 hybrid composite electrodes exhibit superior electrochemical properties when employed as an anode for SIBs, especially superior rate capability with a specific discharge capacity of 403 mA h g −1 at a high current density of 3200 mA g −1 . The findings are expected to lead us in the direction of designing smart electrodes with hybrid nanostructured active materials, completely free of any binder for high-performing electrochemical energy storage applications.

Unraveling the Ion Uptake Capacitive Deionization of Sea- and Highly Saline-Water by Sulfur and Nitrogen Co-Doped Porous Carbon Modified with Molybdenum Sulfide

“…The observation of two characteristic peaks around 1350 and 1590 cm −1 , which are respectively assigned to the D and G bands, provides evidence of the successful synthesis of carbonaceous materials. The D-band due to structural defects, 48 comes into view in the wavenumber ranging from 1000 to 1500 cm −1 . This characteristic peak is assigned to the existence of disorders and amorphous carbons in the carbonaceous networks.…”

Interface Engineering for 3D Printed Energy Storage Materials and Devices

“…The exploration of nanostructured electrode materials has intensified and has shown great promise for practical applications by enabling delivered capacities to approach or even exceed their theoretical limits. [ 90,91 ] However, it is noted that most reported values are collected at low mass loading levels, which are far from the demand for real electrochemical devices. High‐mass‐loading electrodes are thus meaningful, but their electrochemical energy storage process becomes complex.…”

L-Cysteine Cross-Linked Sodium Alginate as a Binder with Strong Binding Force on Copper Foils To Enhance Sodium Storage Performance

“…14−16 Similar to graphite, MoS 2 also has a layered structure, but its interlayer distance is almost double (6.2 Å vs 3.4 Å in graphite), making it one of the largest in the metal-sulfide family. 17 During cycling, Na + intercalates into MoS 2 layers, followed by a conversion reaction, yielding a high theoretical specific capacity of 670 mAh g −1 . The discharge/charge process of MoS 2 in SIBs involves two steps, depending on the amount of Na x inserted (0 < x < 0.5, and 0.5 < x < 1.1).…”

“…Commonly used anode materials for SIBs include carbon-based materials such as hard carbon, metal alloy materials like SnSb, BiSb, and Mg 2 Si, two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) such as FeS, SnS 2 , and SnSe 2 , and organic materials like Schiff bases. − MoS 2 , in its typical form as a TMD with weak van der Waals interactions, facilitates easy intercalation and deintercalation of Na + . − Similar to graphite, MoS 2 also has a layered structure, but its interlayer distance is almost double (6.2 Å vs 3.4 Å in graphite), making it one of the largest in the metal-sulfide family . During cycling, Na + intercalates into MoS 2 layers, followed by a conversion reaction, yielding a high theoretical specific capacity of 670 mAh g –1 .…”