Bowl-like mesoporous polymer-induced interface growth of molybdenum disulfide for stable lithium storage

Abstract MoS2 nanosheets are widely investigated for energy storage and catalytic application, however, the methodology for controllable growth of MoS2 on functional matrix for boosting synergetic performance remains an urgent challenge. Herein, a nitrogen-containing polymer-induced interface growth strategy has been proposed for constructing a hierarchical bowl-like architecture, in which few-layer MoS2 nanosheets anchored on bowl-like mesoporous carbon nanoparticles (BMCNs@MoS2). The morphology, component and the thickness of MoS2 nanosheets of BMCNs@MoS2 can be effectively controlled by changing the growth conditions. Such a bowl-like mesoporous carbon can endow the architecture a unique unrestricted empty space, which can provide a freely entered channel for both lithium ions and electrons. Meanwhile, the less MoS2 stacked layers, which can lead to large specific surface area contribute to enhancement of electrons transfer and exposure of active sites. As a result, when BMCNs@MoS2 as an anode delivers a high specific capacity of 799 mA h g−1 at 0.2 A g−1 for 100 cycles, and an excellent rate capacity of 573 mA h g−1 at 2 A g−1. The growth strategy developed in this work opens a new avenue to prepare a variety of transition-metal oxides or sulfides with ingenious morphology and enhanced performance.