MoS2 intercalated p-Ti3C2 anode materials with sandwich-like three dimensional conductive networks for lithium-ion batteries.

As a promising anode material, Ti 3 C 2 has got increasing attention in recent years for its brilliant performance in conductivity and hydrophilicity. However, the application of Ti 3 C 2 is limited by its low capacity. Herein, a sandwich-like three dimensional conductive network of MoS 2 intercalated p-Ti 3 C 2 (partially oxidized Ti 3 C 2 ) is fabricated by selective etching and subsequent hydrothermal treatment to overcome the shortcomings of Ti 3 C 2 . During the hydrothermal treatment, some TiO 2 nanocrystals are formed by partial oxidation of Ti 3 C 2 . The ultra high structural stability of TiO 2 nanocrystals upon lithium ion insertion and extraction process is beneficial to maintaining the cyclic stability of MoS 2 modified p-Ti 3 C 2 composites. In this architecture, MoS 2 acts as an intercalation agent to prevent the p-Ti 3 C 2 layers from restacking and facilitate the rapid transportation of electrons and ions between layers. The expanded interlayer space of p-Ti 3 C 2 provides extra free space to alleviate the volume change of MoS 2 . The optimal content of MoS 2 is 20% in this study. The synergistic effect of p-Ti 3 C 2 and 20 wt% MoS 2 endows composite with maximum discharge capacity of 656 mAh g −1 at 50 mA g −1 , which is significantly higher than the theoretical capacity of Ti 3 C 2 (320 mAh g −1 ). The sample also shows excellent cycling stability at 500 mAh g −1 . Even at high current density of 3000 mAh g −1 , a stable specific capacity of 153 mAh g −1 is obtained. These results clearly indicate that intercalation with MoS 2 is an effective strategy to improve the electrochemical performance of Ti 3 C 2 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]