Anthracite-Derived Porous Carbon@MoS Heterostructure for Elevated Lithium Storage Regulated by the Middle TiO Layer.

The rational design of MoS/carbon composites have been widely used to improve the lithium storage capability. However, their deep applications remain a big challenge due to the slow electrochemical reaction kinetics of MoS and weak bonding between MoS and carbon substrates. In this work, anthracite-derived porous carbon (APC) is sequential coated by TiO nanoparticles and MoS nanosheets via a chemical activation and two-step hydrothermal method, forming the unique APC@TiO@MoS ternary composite. The dynamic analysis, in-situ electrochemical impedance spectroscopy as well as theoretical calculation together demonstrate that this innovative design effectively improves the ion/electron transport behavior and alleviates the large volume expansion during cycles. Furthermore, the introduction of middle TiO layer in the composite significantly strengthens the mechanical stability of the entire electrode. As expected, the as-prepared APC@TiO@MoS anode displays a high lithium storage capacity with a reversible capacity of 655.8 mAh g after 150 cycles at 200 mA g, and robust cycle stability. Impressively, even at a high current density of 2 A g, the electrode maintains a superior reversible capacity of 597.7 mAh g after 1100 cycles. This design highlights a feasibility for the development of low-cost anthracite-derived porous carbon-based electrodes.