Synthesis of MoS2 nanotube using a sacrificial template method as advanced anode material for lithium-ion batteries

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is a promising anode material in lithium ion batterys (LIBs). However, poor conductivity and stability severely hinder its application. Herein, carbon nitride nanotubes are used as template to in-situ grow ultrathin MoS2 nanosheets and after removing carbon nitride nanotubes, MoS2 nanosheets with an uniform tube-like structure can be obtained. Benefiting from hollow structure with long aspect ratio and well-dispersed ultrathin MoS2 layers, the obtained MoS2 nanotubes favor mass diffusion, shorten ion transfer distance and can effectively alleviate volume expansion. The obtained MoS2 nanotubes deliver a reversible capacity of 1112.3 mAh g−1 (0.5 A g−1 after 500 cycles), a good long cycling life (428 mAh g−1 at 2 A g−1 after 1000 cycles). For the MoS2-NT//LiCoO2 full cell, it exhibits stable cycling performance with discharge capacity of 143 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1 after 100 cycles. The specific architecture of MoS2 nanotubes could provide a useful design idea for the electrode of next-generation LIBs.