Advanced Anode Material For Lithium-ion Batteries Research Articles

Understanding the impact of porosity on Li-ion diffusion enhancement in micro-sized silicon particles for advanced batteries

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) require advanced and practical anode materials, such as porous silicon (PSi), which can meet these expectations due to their rapid Li-ion diffusion rates and structural relaxation. Several studies have focused on the structural design of PSi or its composites to improve Li-ion diffusion; however, no systematic and quantitative evaluations of the impact of porosity on Li-ion diffusion and battery performance have been reported. Therefore, to understand the impact of porosity on Li-ion diffusion, we developed micro-sized porous silicon (m-PSi) particles with various porosities via metal-assisted chemical etching (MACE) method using different concentrations of AgNO3 (0.02–0.08 M). Among the as-prepared samples, m-PSi-0.06 (prepared using 0.06 M AgNO3) with ∼70 % porosity achieved a maximum Li-ion diffusion rate of 2.35 × 10−9 cm2 s−1. This led to a high-rate capability, enhanced Li-ion storage, and better cyclic retention of 61.4 % compared to the non-porous micro-sized Si (m-Si) (5.8 %) sample at a current density of 0.1 A g−1. Furthermore, the optimal porosity of m-PSi-0.06 resulted in an impressive rate capability of 760 mAh g−1 at a high current density of 4 A g−1 with a recovery rate of 80 %. The improved efficiency of m-PSi-0.06 is attributed to its optimized mesoporosity, which ensures sufficient space for Li-ion storage and shortens the effective transmission path to accelerate Li-ion diffusion. Moreover, the mesopores provide a greater number of active sites for the reversible adsorption of Li ions, thereby improving the capacitive behavior of the anode. In contrast, the highly nanoporous m-PSi-0.08, with a pore diameter of 1–3 nm, impeded Li-ion movement and restricted diffusion. These results reveal that a high nano porosity hinders Li-ion diffusion, whereas an optimal mesoporosity ensures swift diffusion in m-PSi anodes. These insights could guide the design of Si-based anode materials for advanced LIBs.

Batch-Scale Synthesis and Interfacially Enhanced Stability of Silicon Suboxide-Based Anodes toward High-Performance Lithium-Ion Batteries.

SiOx anode materials are among the most promising candidates for next-generation high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, their commercial application is hindered by poor conductivity, low initial Coulombic efficiency (ICE), and an unstable solid electrolyte interface. Developing cost-effective SiOx anodes with high electrochemical performance is crucial for advanced LIBs. To tackle these issues, this study utilized APTES as a silicon source and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as additives to prepare a T-SiOx/C/CNTs composite material with N doping and in situ carbon coating using a "molecular assembly combined with controlled pyrolysis" strategy under mild conditions. The in situ carbon coating, formed by the pyrolysis of organic groups on the molecular precursor, effectively protects the inner SiOx active material. The introduced CNTs enhance electron migration and improve the rigidity of the carbon coating layer. The prelithiated T-SiOx@C/CNTs electrode achieves an ICE of 91.6%, with a specific capacity of 622 mAh g-1 after 400 cycles at 1 A g-1 and 475.8 mAh g-1 after 800 cycles. Full cell tests with commercial NCM811 cathodes further demonstrate the potential of T-SiOx@C/CNTs as a highly promising anode material. This work provides some insights into the rational design of advanced anode materials for LIBs, paving the way for their future development and application.

High‐Safety Anode Materials for Advanced Lithium‐Ion Batteries

Lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) play a pivotal role in today's society, with widespread applications in portable electronics, electric vehicles, and smart grids. Commercial LIBs predominantly utilize graphite anodes due to their high energy density and cost‐effectiveness. Graphite anodes face challenges, however, in extreme safety‐demanding situations, such as airplanes and passenger ships. The lithiation of graphite can potentially form lithium dendrites at low temperatures, causing short circuits. Additionally, the dissolution of the solid‐electrolyte‐interphase on graphite surfaces at high temperatures can lead to intense reactions with the electrolyte, initiating thermal runaway. This review introduces two promising high‐safety anode materials, Li4Ti5O12 and TiNb2O7. Both materials exhibit low tendencies towards lithium dendrite formation and have high onset temperatures for reactions with the electrolyte, resulting in reduced heat generation and significantly lower probabilities of thermal runaway. Li4Ti5O12 and TiNb2O7 offer enhanced safety characteristics compared to graphite, making them suitable for applications with stringent safety requirements. This review provides a comprehensive overview of Li4Ti5O12 and TiNb2O7, focusing on their material properties and practical applicability. It aims to contribute to the understanding and development of high‐safety anode materials for advanced LIBs, addressing the challenges and opportunities associated with their implementation in real‐world applications.

Well-Dispersed Bi nanoparticles for promoting the lithium storage performance of Si Anode: Effect of the bridging Bi nanoparticles

Silicon (Si) is considered a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to its high theoretical specific capacity of up to 4200 mAh/g. However, the poor cycling and rate performances of Si induced by the low intrinsic electronic conductivity and large volume expansion during the lithiation/delithiation process limit its practical application. Herein, a novel silicon/bismuth@nitrogen-doped carbon (Si/Bi@NC) composite with nanovoids was synthesized and investigated as an advanced anode material for LIBs. In such a structure, ultrafine bismuth nanoparticles coupled with an N-doped carbon layer were introduced to modify the surface of Si nanoparticles. Subsequently, the lithiated LixBi has excellent high ionic conductivity and acts as a fast transport bridge for lithium ions. The introduced carbon coating layer and nanovoids can buffer the volume expansion of Si during the lithiation/delithiation process, thus maintaining structural stability during the cycling process. As a result, the Si/Bi@NC composite exhibits excellent electrochemical performance, providing a relatively high capacity of 955.8 mAh/g at 0.5 A/g after 450 cycles and excellent rate performance with a high capacity of 477.8 mAh/g even at 10.0 A/g. Furthermore, the assembled full cell with LiFePO4 as cathode and pre-lithium Si/Bi@NC as anode can provide a high capacity of 138.8 mAh/g at 1C after 90 cycles, exhibiting outstanding cycling performance.

Temperature-Driven Synthesis of 1D Fe2O3@3D Graphene Composite Applies as Anode of Lithium-Ion Batteries

A series of Fe2O3-anchored three-dimensional graphene (3DG) composites are synthesized via hydrothermal and annealing methods. The Fe2O3 nanocrystals in composites display nanocubes, one-dimensional (1D) nanorods and ellipsoids at hydrothermal temperatures of 120 °C, 150 °C and 180 °C, respectively. Notably, the composite synthesized at 150 °C shows 1D Fe2O3 uniformly embedded in 3DG, forming an interpenetrating 1D-3D (three-dimensional) structure. This combined structure is beneficial in improving the electrochemical stability and accelerating the Li+ diffusion rate. When used as anode for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), the optimized 1D-3D Fe2O3@3DG composite delivers a reversible specific capacity of 1041 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1 and maintains a high reversible specific capacity of 775 mAh g−1 after 200 cycles. The superior electrochemical properties of Fe2O3@3DG are a result of the stable interpenetrate structure, enhanced conductivity, and buffered volume change. These results suggest that Fe2O3@3DG composites have significant potential as advanced anode materials for LIBs and the combined 1D-3D structure also provides inspiration for other electrode material structure design.

Combining XAS with XRD for elucidating the complex structural behavior of pre-lithiated SnO anode materials for Lithium-ion batteries

Tin-based oxides anode materials have been widely studied to aim at higher performance for next-generation lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to the high theoretical specific capacity of Sn (reaching 994 mAh.g−1). However, the volume variation of Sn/LixSn transformation changes during the lithiation prevents a common application of these materials in nowadays used batteries. To understand the lithiation pathways, in this work, the degree of pre-lithiation of tin-base anode materials was investigated via combined X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) techniques. The experimental results confirm the formation of LiSn, Li7Sn3, Li5Sn2, Li13Sn5, Li7Sn2, and Li22Sn5 phases. The degree of pre-lithiation plays a critical role in determining the electrochemical characteristics of LixSn alloy. This work provided useful and new insights in the future development of advanced anode materials for LIBs.

Facile molten salt synthesis of carbon-anchored TiN nanoparticles for durable high-rate lithium-ion battery anodes

Transition metal nitrides (TMNs), including titanium nitride (TiN), exhibit remarkable application prospects as anodes for durable high-rate lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Regrettably, the absence of simple synthesis methods restricts their further development. Herein, a facile and low-cost molten salt synthesis strategy was proposed to prepare carbon-anchored TiN nanoparticles as an advanced anode material for LIBs with high rate capabilities. This nanosized TiN obtained is ∼5 nm in size and well-distributed onto carbon plates, which could release a reversible capacity of ∼381.5 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1 after 250 cycles and ∼141.5 mAh g−1 at 1.0 A g−1 after 1000 cycles. Furthermore, it was confirmed that the conversion reaction between TiN and Li-ions happened during the electrochemical reaction process, resulting in the formation of Li3N and Ti. This unique microstructure attributed from TiN nanoparticles anchored by carbon could support the structural volume during cycling. This work highlights the method superiority of TiN prepared via a molten salt synthesis strategy as an anode for LIBs with impressive rate performances.

Hollow Porous N and Co Dual-Doped Silicon@Carbon Nanocube Derived by ZnCo-Bimetallic Metal-Organic Framework toward Advanced Lithium-Ion Battery Anodes.

Silicon (Si) has been recognized as a promising alternative to graphite anode materials for advanced lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) owing to its superior theoretical capacity and low discharge voltage. However, Si-based anodes undergo structural pulverization during cycling due to the large volume expansion (ca. 300-400%) and continuous formation of an unstable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI), resulting in fast capacity fading. To address this challenge, a series of different amounts of silicon nanoparticles (Si NPs)-encapsulated hollow porous N-doped/Co-incorporated carbon nanocubes (denoted as p-CoNC@SiX, where X = 50, 80, and 100) as anode materials for LIBs are reported in this paper. These hollow nanocubic materials were derived by facile annealing of different contents of Si NPs-encapsulated Zn/Co-bimetallic zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIF@Si) as self-sacrificial templates. Owing to the advantages of well-defined hollow framework clusters and highly conductive hollow carbon frameworks, the hollow porous p-CoNC@SiX significantly improved the electronic conductivity and Li+ diffusion coefficient by an order of magnitude higher than that of Si NPs. The as-prepared p-CoNC@Si80 with 80 wt % Si NPs delivered a continuously increasing specific capacity of 1008 mAh g-1 at 500 mA g-1 over 500 cycles, excellent reversible capacity (∼1361 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1), and superior rate capability (∼603 mAh g-1 at 3 A g-1) along with an unprecedented long-life cyclic stability of ∼1218 mAh g-1 at 1 A g-1 over 1000 cycles caused by low volume expansion (9.92%) and suppressed SEI side reactions. These findings provide new insights into the development of highly reversible Si-based anode materials for advanced LIBs.

Constructing three-dimensional N-doped carbon coating silicon/iron silicide nanoparticles cross-linked by carbon nanotubes as advanced anode materials for lithium-ion batteries

Silicon (Si), have been considered as promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), due to its high theoretical specific capacity of 4200 mAh g−1. However, the poor electrical conductivity and large volume change during lithiation/delithiation process, resulting in poor cycling stability, and seriously hindered the practical application in LIBs. Herein, a multiple Si/FexSiy@NC/CNTs composite is synthesized and investigated as advanced anode materials for LIBs via a simple one-step method. Such multiple Si/FexSiy@NC/CNTs composite has several merits including the FexSiy can not only accommodate the huge volume change of Si nanoparticles, but also enhance the conductivity upon discharge/charge process. Furthermore, the in-situ growth CNTs may help establish a long-range conductivity, and the Nitrogen-doped carbon (NC) layer can further improve the conductivity of Si, as well as inhibit the direct contract between electrolyte and Si during cycling process. Accordingly, the Si/FexSiy@NC/CNTs-1 exhibits excellent cycling stability (a high capacity of 994.4 mAh g−1 is maintained at 1.0 A g−1 after 600cycles) and outstanding rate capability (a suitable capacity of 441.7 mAh g−1 was obtained even at 5.0 A g−1). Moreover, the assembled full cell can achieve a capacity of 141.4 mAh g−1 after 65 cycles at 1.0C, exhibiting outstanding cycling stability. This work provides a prospective way for the commercial production of high-performance Si-based anode materials for LIBs.

Facile and Scalable Fabrication of Sub‐Micro MnS@Nitrogen‐Sulfur‐Codoped‐Carbon Composites for High‐Performance Lithium‐Ion Half and Full‐Cell Batteries

AbstractNanostructured manganese sulfide (MnS) has been verified to be effective to address the issues of MnS as next‐generation anode material in high energy lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs). The scale‐up fabrication, however, is still challenged by the multistep and rigid processes of synthesizing MnS nanoparticles. Herein, by using micro‐sized MnS as low‐cost MnS source, we present a facile, cost‐effective and scalable strategy to prepare a sub‐micrometer sized MnS@NSC composite, in which MnS nanoparticles are encapsulated into N,S‐codoped carbon matrix (NSC) deriving from polyacrylonitrile (PAN). The NSC matrix combined with homogeneously distributed MnS nanoparticles crushed from micro‐MnS provide fast access of lithium ion/electron and robust structure, leading to remarkable cycling stability (551.6 mAh g−1 at 0.5 A g−1 even after 400 cycles) and desirable rate capability (624 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1 and around 300 mAh g−1 at 2 A g−1). Particularly, the assembled LIB full cell by coupling the anode with LiFePO4 (LFP) cathode presents an encouragingly cycling retention of 96 % after 100 cycles. This work provides a new possibility for design and industrial implementation of MnS as advanced anode materials for LIBs.

An oxygen-deficient strategy to boost lithium storage of metal-organic framework-derived ZnTiO3/TiO2/C composite anodes

With the growing demand for better electrochemical properties of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), the design and development of alternatives for commercial electrodes has become an emerging field in energy research arena. In this paper, we reported an effective strategy using a bimetallic zeolite imidazole framework ZIF-8 (Zn, Ti) as the sacrificial template for synthesis of the oxygen-deficient ZnTiO3/TiO2/C (ZTC) composite as an advanced anode material for LIBs. Benefitting from the nanostructure retained from the MOF precursor, the unique electronic property provided by the abundant oxygen vacancies, synergistic effect of the multiphase composition, the ZTC composite prepared by calcination at 700 °C (ZTC-700) delivers not only a remarkable reversible capacity of 357.6 mA h g−1 at a current density of 300 mA g−1 after 400 cycles, but also an outstanding rate performance with a reversible capacity of 155 mA h g−1 at an elevated current density of 500 mA g−1 for 1500 cycles. To further investigate the lithium storage mechanism of the composites, density functional theory (DFT) calculation is employed to identify enhanced electrochemical performance of ZTC composites compared with pure rutile TiO2 due to the boosted diffusion kinetics. This study provids insights for the morphology and micro structure control from atomic level by MOF-templated method and the utilization of different components for better synergy.

High-entropy oxides as advanced anode materials for long-life lithium-ion Batteries

High-Entropy Oxides (HEOs) are a novel type of perspective anode materials for lithium ion batteries (LIBs), owing to their stable crystal structure and high theoretical capacity. However, the understanding of their intrinsic crystal structure and lithium storage mechanism is relatively shallow, hindering their further development and application. In this work, (FeCoNiCrMn)3O4 HEO was prepared successfully by the oxidation of high-entropy FeCoNiCrMn alloy powders, and was applied as a new advanced anode material for LIBs. The as-prepared (FeCoNiCrMn)3O4 HEO exhibited excellent cycle stability, and achieved a high reversible capacity of 596.5 mA h g−1 and a good capacity retention of 86.2% after 1200 cycles at 2.0 A g−1. Such long cycle stability can be ascribed to its special crystal structure and narrow band gap, which was verified by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. During the first cycle of lithium insertion, (FeCoNiCrMn)3O4 HEO gradually transformed into fine crystals below the XRD detection threshold, which was confirmed by in situ XRD. Our results demonstrate that high-entropy makes (FeCoNiCrMn)3O4 HEO possess a stable structure and narrow band gap, and three-dimensional spinel structure provides a channel for ion transport. This points out the direction for the preparation of HEOs with stable structure and excellent performance, and provides a promising candidate for anode materials of LIBs.

Copper oxide@cobalt oxide core–shell nanostructure, as an efficient binder-free anode for lithium-ion batteries

Here, cobalt oxide nanostructures synthesized on vertically aligned copper oxide nanowires (NWs) have been investigated as a possible anode material for Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Copper oxide NWs were formed by thermal oxidation of electrochemically deposited copper on the stainless steel mesh substrate. The process used allows the formation of highly dense copper oxide NWs with excellent adhesion to the conductive current collector substrate. A simple hydrothermal method was implemented for the deposition of cobalt oxide nanostructures on the copper oxide NWs. The as-prepared binder-free copper oxide@cobalt oxide NWs electrode exhibits a high initial specific capacity of 460 mAh g−1 at a current density of 148 mA g−1. The fabricated core–shell structure effectively improved the capacity of the fabricated half-cell by four times after 30 cycles, compared with bare copper oxide NWs. In addition to its straightforward and inexpensive synthesis process, the improved electrochemical performance suggests the copper oxide@cobalt oxide NWs electrode as a potential anode material for advanced LIBs.

Enhanced lithium storage performance guided by intricate-cavity hollow cobalt phosphide

The pulverization and aggregation of metal-based anode materials caused by considerable volume expansion during repeated lithiation/de-lithiation lead to poor lithium storage performance for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Herein, intricate-cavity hollow cobalt phosphide (S-CoP), which is fabricated by the weave of one-dimension (1D) hollow nanorods and further self-assemble of the weaved two-dimension (2D) substructures, is exploited as anode material to accommodate high-performance lithium storage. The self-assembled hierarchical-dimensional architecture, together with the intricate void structure of the nanorods, construct highly accessible surfaces which facilitate electrolyte wetting, diffusion distance decreasing, and thus rapid kinetics during lithium storage. Meanwhile, the developed pore volumes gifts flexible space to alleviate the huge volume change, delivering longer service life for LIBs. As a result, the LIBs based on the designed CoP afford a favorable rate behavior and stable reversible cycling performance. This work provides fresh insights in the design and construction of advanced anode materials for LIBs, which is hopeful to be also enlightening for other high-performance energy systems.

Silicon-doped FeOOH nanorods@graphene sheets as high-capacity and durable anodes for lithium-ion batteries

Developing low-cost and high-capacity anode materials is one of the momentous issues in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). In this study, we propose a facile one-pot hydrothermal strategy to synthesize silicon-doped FeOOH@reduced graphene oxide (Si-FeOOH@rGO) composites, which integrate the advantages of hybridization and doping engineering as novel anodes for LIBs. The Si-FeOOH nanorods are uniformly grown on the conductive rGO sheets with the formation of Fe−O−C bonding at interfaces. Results demonstrate that the doping of Si can effectively suppress the aggregation of active nanoparticles, facilitate Li+ diffusion, and promote the conversion reaction of FeOOH. As a result, the optimized Si-FeOOH@rGO composite manifests high reversibility (1370.5 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1 over 200 cycles), outstanding rate capability (690.4 mAh g−1 at 1 A g−1, 599.2 mAh g−1 at 2 A g−1) and excellent long-term cyclability (920.1 mAh g−1 at 0.5 A g−1 and 612.7 mAh g−1 at 1 A g−1 after 380 cycles). The simple fabrication strategy and superior electrochemical performance indicate that this novel Si-FeOOH@rGO composite shows a great application prospect as anode material for advanced LIBs.

Recent progress of advanced anode materials of lithium-ion batteries

The rapid development of electric vehicles and mobile electronic devices is the main driving force to improve advanced high-performance lithium ion batteries (LIBs). The capacity, rate performance and cycle stability of LIBs rely directly on the electrode materials. As far as the development of the advanced LIBs electrode is concerned, the improvement of anode materials is more urgent than the cathode materials. Industrial production of anode materials superior to commercial graphite still faces some challenges. This review sets out the most basic LIBs anode material design. The reaction principles and structural design of carbon materials, various transition metal oxides, silicon and germanium are summarized, and then the progress of other anode materials are analyzed. Due to the rapid development of metal organic frameworks (MOFs) in energy storage and conversion in recent years, the synthesis process and energy storage mechanism of nanostructures derived from MOF precursors are also discussed. From the perspective of novel structural design, the progress of various MOFs-derived materials for alleviating the volume expansion of anode materials is discussed. Finally, challenges for the future development of advanced anode materials for LIBs will be considered.

High-performance red phosphorus-sulfurized polyacrylonitrile composite by electrostatic spray deposition for lithium-ion batteries

Red phosphorus (RP) is a promising anode in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) application due to its high theoretical capacity, chemical stability, and low cost. However, poor electrical conductivity and huge volume expansion over cycling limited the actual practical application of RP. In this work, red phosphorus/sulfurized polyacrylonitrile (RP-SPAN) hybrid anode material was synthesized for high-performance LIBs through high-energy ball milling and electrostatic spray deposition technique. SPAN as a conductive agent, not only provides better kinetics but also acts as a sufficient matrix with chemical bonding between SPAN and RP. Binder-free RP-SPAN hybrid anode delivered a highly reversible specific capacity of 1605 mAh g−1 at 100 mAh g−1 and high-rate capability of 696 mAh g−1 at 1 A g−1. The advantages of facile preparation and high electrochemical performance demonstrate that the RP-SPAN hybrid material is a promising alternative anode material for advanced LIBs.

MOF-Templated Synthesis of Co3O4@TiO2 Hollow Dodecahedrons for High-Storage-Density Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Co3O4 nanostructures have been extensively studied as anode materials for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) because of their stability and high energy density. However, several drawbacks including low electrical transport and severe volume changes over a long period of operation have limited their utilities in LIBs. Rational composite design is becoming an attractive strategy to improve the performance and stability of potential lithium-ion-battery anode materials. Here, a simple method for synthesizing hollow Co3O4@TiO2 nanostructures using metal–organic frameworks as sacrificial templates is reported. Being used as an anode material for LIBs, the resulting composite exhibits remarkable cycling performance (1057 mAh g–1 at 100 mA g–1 after 100 cycles) and good rate performance. The optimized amorphous Co3O4@TiO2 hollow dodecahedron shows a significant improvement in electrochemical performance and shows a wide prospect as an advanced anode material for LIBs in the future.

Hierarchical structure assembled from in-situ carbon-coated porous tin dioxide nanosheets towards high lithium storage

Wide attention has been recently paid to the potential use of SnO2 material in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) as a new high performance anode owe to its advantages such as high theoretical specific capacity and moderate working potential. However, the intrinsic problems such as pronounced volume change and low conductivity make the capacity decay quickly and rate capability behave badly, therefore severely hindering the practical application of SnO2 in LIBs. Two-dimensional materials with unique physicochemical properties have gained great attention in energy storage and conversion field, and considered as promising candidates for advanced anode materials of LIBs. Herein, we demonstrate a one-pot hydrothermal and subsequently carbonized approach to prepare a hierarchical structure assembled from in-situ carbon-coated porous tin dioxide (SnO2) nanosheets (SnO2@C NSs). By comparison with similar hierarchical structure assembled from pure SnO2 nanosheets indicates that the in-situ carbon coating significantly improves the electrochemical performances of SnO2@C NSs in terms of stability of structures and kinetics of electrochemical reactions. Consequently, the SnO2@C NSs demonstrates superior electrochemical performances, revealing high reversible capacity of 1077.6 and 730 mAh g−1 at 200 and 1000mAg−1 after 160 and 800cycles, respectively, as well as outstanding rate capabilities. Thus, the as-prepared SnO2@C NSs with excellent performances exhibits good potential to be a promising candidate of advanced anode materials for LIBs. Additionally, this paper may provide a new insight to synthesize fine porous SnO2 nanosheets/carbon composites.

Novel plasma-engineered MoS2 nanosheets for superior lithium-ion batteries

It is a highly relevant topic concerning how to improve the electrochemical performance of anode materials for the next generation lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Herein, for the first time, we report a facile and controllable approach to modify MoS2 nanosheets, a typical 2D material, as an anode material for advanced LIBs via oxygen plasma engineering. An oxygen plasma treatment not only generates vacancies/defects but also incorporates heteroatom doping to form Mo–O–C bonds. This unique hybrid specialty enables the oxygen-plasma-treated MoS2 to achieve superior electrochemical performance with high reversible capacities, a long-term cycle life, and good rate capabilities. The plasma-assisted modification is believed to be applicable for other 2D materials as an efficient anode for energy storages.