Sodium-Ion Storage Performances of MoS2 Nanocrystals Coated with N-doped Carbon Synthesized by Flame Spray Pyrolysis

Abstract Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) are receiving significant research interest as anode materials for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). In light of this, vigorous efforts have been devoted to the nano-manufacturing of TMDC-based materials, as they promote better electrochemical performances. Simultaneously, effective production strategies of TMDC-based nanomaterials have been widely explored. Here, we report the facile synthesis of MoS2 nanoparticles coated with N-doped carbon shells (MoS2@NC) for SIB anodes. Flame-spray pyrolysis was employed to produce MoO3 nanoparticles, which were then transformed into MoS2 nanoparticles by a sulfidation process and coated with N-doped carbon shells by dopamine polymerization and carbonization. Benefiting from enhanced structural robustness and electrical conductivity as a result of the uniform N-doped carbon coating, the resulting MoS2@NC exhibits superior sodium-ion storage performance compared with that of bare MoS2 nanoparticles. The proposed strategy is expected to provide new methodologies for the facile synthesis of various metal-chalcogenide/carbon composite nanoparticles for energy storage applications.