Rational Design of Three-Layered TiO2 @Carbon@MoS2 Hierarchical Nanotubes for Enhanced Lithium Storage

Sibo Wang; Bu Yuan Guan; Le Yu; Xiong Wen David Lou

doi:10.1002/adma.201702724

Rational Design of Three-Layered TiO₂ @Carbon@MoS₂ Hierarchical Nanotubes for Enhanced Lithium Storage

Adv Mater. 2017 Oct;29(37). doi: 10.1002/adma.201702724. Epub 2017 Jul 17.

Authors

Sibo Wang¹, Bu Yuan Guan¹, Le Yu¹, Xiong Wen David Lou¹

Affiliation

¹ School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 62 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 637459, Singapore.

PMID: 28714098
DOI: 10.1002/adma.201702724

Abstract

Here we demonstrate the rational design and synthesis of three-layered TiO₂ @carbon@MoS₂ hierarchical nanotubes for anode applications in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Through an efficient step-by-step strategy, ultrathin MoS₂ nanosheets are grown on nitrogen-doped carbon (NC) coated TiO₂ nanotubes to achieve the TiO₂ @NC@MoS₂ tubular nanostructures. This smart design can effectively shorten the diffusion length of Li⁺ ions, increase electric conductivity of the electrode, relax volume variation of electrode materials upon cycling, and provide more active sites for electrochemical reactions. Owing to these structural and compositional features, the hierarchical TiO₂ @NC@MoS₂ nanotubes manifest remarkable lithium storage performance with good rate capability and long cycle life.

Keywords: MoS2; TiO2; lithium-ion batteries; nanotubes.