Hierarchical mesoporous MoS₂ frameworks with conformal carbon coating as a high-rate and stable anode in Li-ion battery

Hierarchical or mesoporous-structured molybdenum disulfides (MoS2) are one of the promising anode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) owing to their abundant active sites, fast ion transport, and easy permeation of electrolyte. However, the synthesis of such architectures with precise structural control is challenging, often requiring preliminary fabrication of templates or special equipment. Herein, we report hierarchical and mesoporous MoS2 frameworks (HM-MoS2) synthesized via a facile phase-segregation route, where ZnS nanoparticles are in situ formed as the hard template. The mesopores and interconnected channels created by removing ZnS nanoparticles enable the uniform carbon coating on HM-MoS2. When employed as an anode in LIB, the HM-MoS2 of an optimal carbon coating exhibits a high rate capability of 396.8 mA.h g−1 at 10 A g−1 and a prolonged cyclability with only 2.8 % of capacity decay.