Moving toward Smart Hybrid Vertical Carbon/MoS2 Binder-Free Electrodes for High-Performing Sodium-Ion Batteries

• Published in: ACS sustainable chemistry & engineering Vol. 11; no. 8; pp. 3260 - 3269
• Main Authors: Shaji, Nitheesha, Santhosh, Neelakandan M., Zavašnik, Janez, Nanthagopal, Murugan, Kim, Taehyung, Sung, Jae Yoon, Jiang, Feng, Jung, Soon Phil, Cvelbar, Uroš, Lee, Chang Woo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: American Chemical Society 27.02.2023
• Subjects: smart electrodes; hybrid composite; molybdenum sulfide; sodium-ion batteries; vertical carbon nanotubes
• ISSN: 2168-0485; 2168-0485
• DOI: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.2c05996

Finding potential electrodes with smart construction and design is one of the major tasks in the development of advanced sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) and in bridging the gap by bringing them to realization. In this work, we report on the design of such a binder-free composite anode realized by combining vertical carbon nanotube/molybdenum sulfide (VCNT/MoS2) hybrid nanostructures. The well-aligned vertical nanostructures in the binder-free VCNT/MoS2 hybrid composite electrode enhance the electrolyte penetration into the electrode and shorten the ion diffusion channels. Moreover, the VCNT provides better ion/electron conductivity for the electrode. Due to these favorable characteristics, binder-free VCNT/MoS2 hybrid composite electrodes exhibit superior electrochemical properties when employed as an anode for SIBs, especially superior rate capability with a specific discharge capacity of 403 mA h g–1 at a high current density of 3200 mA g–1. The findings are expected to lead us in the direction of designing smart electrodes with hybrid nanostructured active materials, completely free of any binder for high-performing electrochemical energy storage applications.