Synthesis and electrochemical performance of colloidal MoS2 nanosheets as an anode material in sodium ion battery

• Precursor influenced dichalcogenide colloidal MoS2 nanosheets synthesized.
• Mo(CO)6 precursor is excellent sources of molybdenum for MoS2 nanosheet.
• Excellent first charge/discharge capacities of 150/310 mAhg−1 in NIB observed.
• Finding new NIB anode materials are crucial for commercial application of NIB.

MoS2 nanosheets by utilizing MoO and Mo(CO)6 as a precursor sources of molybdenum were prepared by a colloidal route at 270 °C in Schlenk flask under the inert atmosphere. The as obtained layered and wrinkled nanosheets were then applied as anode materials in a sodium ion batteries (NIBs) in order to elucidate the electrochemical performances, where an excellent first and second charge/discharge capacities of 150/310 mAhg−1, 125/148 mAhg−1 with a good stability up to ∼30 cycles were obtained with the precursor source of Mo(CO)6. However the MoO employed precursor based nanosheets shows a substantially low first and second charge discharge capacities of 12/37 mAhg−1 and 10/14 mAhg−1. The FE-SEM and XRD shows the wrinkled layered structures in both the precursors with XRD pattern more prominent in the Mo(CO)6 precursor with 2θ peaks at 34°, 36°, and 59°. The excellent performance of nanosheets in the Mo(CO)6 precursor source could be ascribed to the efficient breakage of carbonyl ligands to form a well super saturated monomers followed by well crystallinity with defect free, stable morphology which could effectively withstand expansion/contraction occurring during the successive sodium ion insertion/extraction process.