Boosting sodium-ion storage performance by tailoring intragranular porous WS2/C nanocomposites anode

Abstract

Two-dimensional layered semiconducting materials, such as tungsten disulfide, have attracted significant research interest over the past few decades. With rational optimization of their chemical constitutions and regulation of electronic configurations, these materials can achieve commercial viability. Herein, the WS2/C hybrid was constructed by organic amine intercalation and in-situ pyrolysis. Intraparticle porous WS2/C was successfully synthesized by dissolving and etching. The specific surface area of the obtained WS2/C was significantly enhanced on the removal of WO3 through alkali etching, which facilitated the Na-insertion/extraction. Therefore, the obtained porous WS2/C composite delivered a high reversible capacity and improved cycle stability with 346.3 mAh g−1 over 80 cycles at 100 mA g−1. This work proposes an intragranular porous WS2/C composite electrode design which shows a superior sodium storage performance, improved electronic conductivity and enhanced reversible specific capacity. It is expected to present a novel insight for designing other high-capacity sodium-ion and other alkaline ion battery electrode materials.