Synthesis of Bi2S3/MoS2 Nanorods and Their Enhanced Electrochemical Performance for Aluminum Ion Batteries

Abstract Rechargeable aluminum ion batteries (AIBs) have attracted much attention because of their high charge density, low cost, and low flammability. Transition metal sulfides are a class of cathode materials that have been extensively studied. In this report, Bi2S3 nanorods and Bi2S3/MoS2 nanorods were synthesized by the hydrothermal method as new type of cathode materials for rechargeable AIBs. The diameter of Bi2S3/MoS2 nanorods is 20–100 nm. The Bi2S3 nanorods display high initial charge and discharge capacities of 343.3 and 251 mA h/g with a current density of 1 A/g. The static cycling for the Bi2S3/MoS2 nanorods electrode at 1 A/g denotes high stability with a specific capacity of 132.9 mA h/g after 100 cycles. The charging voltage platform of Bi2S3 nanorods and Bi2S3/MoS2 nanorods is at 1.1–1.4 V, and the discharge voltage platform is at around 0.8 V. The well-defined heterojunction maintains the stability of the Bi2S3 structure during long-term cycling, which is desirable for aluminum ion batteries. This strategy reveals new insights for designing cathode materials of high-performance AIBs.