MoS2 Nanotubes via Ionic-Liquid-Assisted Assembly of MoS2 Nanosheets for Lithium Storage

MoS2 nanotubes have received much attention due to their wide applications in various areas. However, the synthetic strategies to fabricate few-layer/single-layer nanosheet-assembled MoS2 nanotubes have rarely been developed. Herein, we have developed a hydrothermal route to synthesize three-dimensional (3D) nanosheet-assembled MoS2 nanotubes employing 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium thiocyanate ([BMIM]SCN) as a sulfur source and stabilizer. The obtained nanostructure with both advantages of tubular and nanosheets are able to cause the formation of some mesoporous structure, which are facilitate the insertion and extraction of lithium ions, the contact between the electrode and electrolyte, and the improvement of the mechanical stability of the electrode. These outstanding properties suggesting a potential application in high energy density lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), and that we believe that this simple approach can be applied to synthesize other transitional-metal chalcogenide 3D hollow structures.