Hollow Nanotubes of N-Doped Carbon on CoS

KGaA, Weinheim Low-cost, single-step synthesis of hollow nanotubes of N-doped carbon deposited on CoS is enabled by the simultaneous use of three functionalities of polyacrylonitrite (PAN) nanofibers: 1) a substrate for loading active materials, 2) a sacrificial template for creating hollow tubular structures, and 3) a precursor for in situ nitrogen doping. The N-doped carbon in hollow tubes of CoS provides a high-capacity anode of long cycle life for a rechargeable Li-ion or Na-ion battery cell that undergoes the conversion reaction 2 A++2 e−+CoS →Co+A2S with A=Li or Na.