Impact of CTAB on morphology and electrochemical performance of MoS2 nanoflowers with improved lithium storage properties.

The search for high capacity, low-cost electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries is a significant challenge in energy research. Among the numerous potential candidates, layered compounds such as MoS₂ (Molybdenum Disulfide) have attracted increasing attention. A facile hydrothermal reduction process using hexadecyltrimethy ammonium bromide (CTAB) as surfactant was developed for the synthesis of lithium-ion battery anode material MoS₂ nanoflowers. The impact of CTAB on morphology and electrochemical performance of MoS₂ has been investigated. With the increase of CTAB content, MoS₂ ultrathin nanosheets with high specific surface area and more active sites have been successfully synthesized. Electrochemical measurements demonstrated that MoS₂ nanoflowers synthesized with 1% content of CTAB have better electrochemical performance than others as anode materials for Li-ion batteries, which yield a high discharge capacity of 1245 mAh g⁻¹ at a current density of 50 mA g⁻¹ and a stable capacity retention of 740 mAh g⁻¹ until 100 electrochemical cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]