Two Birds with One Stone: Prelithiated Two-Dimensional Nanohybrids as High-Performance Anode Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

As an inexpensive and naturally abundant two-dimensional (2D) material, molybdenum disulfide (MoS) exhibits a high Li-ion storage capacity along with a low volume expansion upon lithiation, rendering it an alternative anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, the challenge of using MoS-based anodes is their intrinsically low electrical conductivity and unsatisfied cycle stability. To address the above issues, we have exploited a wet chemical technique and integrated MoS with highly conductive titanium carbide (TiC) MXene to form a 2D nanohybrid. The binary hybrids were then subjected to an -butyllithium (-Buli) treatment to induce both MoS deep phase transition and MXene surface functionality modulation simultaneously. We observed a substantial increase in 1T-phase MoS content and a clear suppression of -F-containing functional groups in MXene due to the prelithiation process enabled by the -Buli treatment. Such an approach not only increases the overall network conductivity but also improves Li-ion diffusion kinetics. As a result, the MoS/TiC composite with -Buli treatment delivered a high Li-ion storage capacity (540 mA h g at 100 mA g), outstanding cycle stability (up to 300 cycles), and excellent rate capability. This work provides an effective strategy for the structure-property engineering of 2D materials and sheds light on the rational design of high-performance LIBs using 2D-based anode materials.