Semimetallic vanadium molybdenum sulfide for high-performance battery electrodes

The ultrathin thickness and lateral morphology of a two dimensional (2D) MoS 2 nanosheet contribute to its high surface-to-volume ratio and short diffusion path, rendering it a brilliant electrode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, the low conductivity and easy restacking character of the pure MoS 2 nanosheet during extended cycling result in severe capacity fading and poor cycling performance. In this work, we developed an attractive strategy by using a metal-doping method to engineer chemical, physical and electronic properties of MoS 2 , achieving an outstanding performance in LIBs. The computational results show that V-Mo-S has semimetallic properties. Semimetallic vanadium molybdenum sulfide nanoarrays (V-Mo-S NAs) were prepared to overcome the low conductivity of semiconducting MoS 2 and thus further optimize its performance in LIBs. A reversible capacity as high as 1047 mA h g −1 was achieved at 1000 mA g −1 . It also displayed an excellent stability even after 700 cycles. This fascinating study may pave a way for utilizing semimetallic material-based nanomaterials for batteries. The ultrathin thickness and lateral morphology of a two dimensional (2D) MoS 2 nanosheet contribute to its high surface-to-volume ratio and short diffusion path, rendering it a brilliant electrode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs).