Free-Standing Petal-Shaped Metallic 1T-Phase Molybdenum Sulfide Anchored on a Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Cloth for High Rate Na-Ion Batteries

The 2D molybdenum sulfide has been speculated as a promising anode for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) due to cost-effective and large interlayer spacing for facile de/intercalation. In this study, a free-standing MoS2-based anode is fabricated through the growth of the petal-shaped 1T metallic phase of MoS2 (M-MoS2) particles on an oxidized carbon cloth with in situ doping of nitrogen (M-MoS2@NCC). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies revealed a carbon cloth with a dominant conductive 1T metallic phase along with some proportion of a 2H phase. The M-MoS2@NCC is applied as a binder-, conductive additive-, and current collector-free anode in SIBs, and excellent rate capability with stable cyclability is achieved. The M-MoS2@NCC electrode demonstrated a capacity of 531 mAh g–1 at a C-rate of 0.1 and outstanding cyclability with 519 mAh g–1 specific capacity and 95% capacity retention after 100 cycles, thus overcoming challenges of MoS2-based materials such as low electrochemical activity, pulverization, and sluggish kinetics for Na+ intercalation/deintercalation. Therefore, the free-standing M-MoS2@NCC electrode has favorable prospects for SIBs.