Enhanced 1T phase promotes sodium storage performances of MoS2 flower-like spheres with embedded reduced graphene oxides

Highlights: • The addition of urea and reduced reaction time synergistically boost the formation of 1T-MoS₂. • The more active sites and higher conductivity of enhanced 1T-MoS₂improve the energy density and rate performance. • The reduced graphene oxides embedded in the enhanced 1T-MoS₂ flower-like spheres promote the rate and cycling stability. Metallic 1T phase molybdenum disulfide (1T-MoS₂) can improve the electron transport rate and provide abundant active sites, which is beneficial to promote the electrochemical properties of MoS₂. Herein, enhanced 1T-MoS₂ flower-like spheres have been prepared via a facile hydrothermal method through adding urea and reducing reaction time (6h). In addition, graphene oxide nanosheets are also used to further increase the conductivity and structure stability of composite. The synthesized enhanced 1T phase MoS₂ flower-like spheres with embedded reduced graphene oxides (E-1T-MoS₂@rGO-6) are applied as anode materials as sodium ion battery, which delivers a high reversible capacity of 450 mAh g⁻¹at 0.1Ag⁻¹ after 60 cycles, and the electrode still remains 280 mAh g⁻¹ after 100 cycles even at 1Ag⁻¹. The boosted sodium ion storage capacity, good rate and cyclic stability performances of E-1T-MoS₂@rGO-6 electrode may be ascribed to the high content of 1T-MoS₂ and the presence of rGO.