Molybdenum Disulfide Nanosheets Interconnected Nitrogen-Doped Reduced Graphene Oxide Hydrogel: A High-Performance Heterostructure for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

We demonstrate an efficient and large-scale synthesis approach of a novel heterostructure comprised of molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) and nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide (n-RGO) hydrogel (MoS 2 /n-RGO) via two-step hydrothermal process. Due to the strong molybdenum–nitrogen (Mo−N) bond, the n-RGO sheets are well interconnected to the MoS 2 sheets and restacking of the two components is minimized. The hybrid possesses an open-pore structure, large surface area, and high nitrogen content. As an anode for lithium-ion batteries, the MoS 2 /n-RGO manifests a high specific capacity of 1140 mA h g −1 at the current density of 100 mA g −1 , which is higher than that of the MoS 2 /non-doped RGO (MoS 2 /RGO) counterpart. A remarkable rate capability and excellent electrochemical stability (94% retention after 130 cycles) is also achieved. Furthermore, the MoS 2 /n-RGO hybrid delivers a maximum energy density of 890 Wh kg −1 with the power density of 130 W kg −1 . The superior electrochemical performance can be attributed to the durability and improved charge kinetics of the MoS 2 /n-RGO heterostructure owing to the nitrogen-doping effect. This study sheds light on the importance of a nitrogen-doped architecture in the creation of novel functional materials that can act as advanced electrodes for lithium-ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]