Controllable growth of MoS2/C flower-like microspheres with enhanced electrochemical performance for lithium ion batteries

•We prepared MoS2/C flower-like microspheres via a facile solvothermal method.•The microsphere consists of interconnected nanoflake and an amorphous carbon layer.•The MoS2/C microspheres show high capacity and good rate performance.

Tailored design/fabrication of hierarchical porous advanced electrodes is of great importance for developing high-performance power sources. Herein, we report a facile solvothermal method for fabrication of hierarchical porous MoS2/C flower-like microspheres. Interestingly, the obtained MoS2/C microspheres are composed of interconnected secondary thin nanoflakes and an amorphous carbon layer. As an anode material for lithium ion batteries, the resultant MoS2/C flower-like microspheres electrode delivers a high specific capacity of 1125.9 mAh g−1 and good cycle capability (916.6 mAh g−1 at 200 mA g−1 up to 400 cycles), as well as enhanced rate performance. The excellent electrochemical performance is attributed to the unique porous composite architecture with fast transportation of ion/electron and good strain accommodation during the lithiation/delithiation reaction. Our research may pave the way for construction of other high-performance metal sulfides electrodes for electrochemical energy storage.

Graphical abstractWe report a facile solvothermal method for fabrication of hierarchical porous MoS2/C flower-like microspheres composed of interconnected thin nanoflakes and an amorphous carbon layer. As an anode material for LIBs, MoS2/C flower-like microspheres electrode delivers enhanced electrochemical performance.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide