Hydrochloric Acid-Assisted Synthesis of Highly Dispersed MoS2 Nanoflowers as the Cathode Material for Mg-Li Batteries

The layered material MoS2 has significant potential as a cathode material for hybrid Mg2+/Li+ batteries (MLIBs) due to its fast two-dimensional ion diffusion channel. However, the low capacity and poor cycling stability limit the practical application of MoS2. Herein, highly dispersed MoS2 nanoflowers with a large Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) area of 118.25 m2 g–1 and a large lattice spacing of 0.65 nm are synthesized by a one-step hydrothermal method. The obtained MoS2 nanoflowers deliver a remarkable reversible capacity of 321 mA h g–1 at 0.1 A g–1. Notably, it displays an impressive cycling stability with a reversible capacity of 103 mA h g–1 over 600 consecutive cycles at 1 A g–1. The favorable electrochemical properties of the MoS2 are attributed to the large BET area and increased lattice spacing that are more conducive to the full contact between the electrolyte and the material, thus promoting the diffusion of ions and improving the reaction kinetics. The results of the present study offer an idea to prepare highly dispersed MoS2 with enhanced capacity and durability.