MoS₂ coated hollow carbon spheres for anodes of lithium ion batteries

With the assistance of resorcinol–formaldehyde, MoS₂ coated hollow carbon spheres (C@MoS₂) were synthesized through a facile hydrothermal route followed by heat and alkali treatments. The measurements indicate that the hollow carbon spheres with an average diameter of 300 nm and shell thickness of 20 nm. And the hollow core are uniformly covered by ultrathin MoS₂ nanosheets with a length increased to 400 nm. The unique hollow structure and the synergistic effect between carbon layer and MoS₂ nanosheets significantly enhance the rate capability and electrochemical stability of C@MoS₂ spheres as anode material of lithium-ion battery. The synthesized C@MoS₂ delivered a capacity of 750 mAh g⁻¹ at a current density of 100 mA g⁻¹. More importantly, the C@MoS₂ maintained a reversible capacity of 533 mAh g⁻¹ even at a high current density of 1000 mA g⁻¹. The study indicated that MoS₂ coated hollow carbon spheres can be promising anode material for next generation high-performance lithium-ion batteries. (paper)