Mo4/3B2Tx induced hierarchical structure and rapid reaction dynamics in MoS2 anode for superior sodium storage

Molybdenum sulfide (MoS2) with large layer distance and high theoretical capacity has been identified as one of the most promising anodes for sodium ion batteries, but the poor intrinsic conductivity and severe structural agglomeration restricted its diffusion kinetic and specific capacity. In this work, the synergistic effect of heterogeneous interface and Na2S adsorption/conversion active sites was employed to construct Mo4/3B2Tx-MoS2@C composites using a self-assembly and calcination strategy. Theoretical calculation and experimental results demonstrated that the charge transfer and interface between Mo4/3B2Tx and MoS2 along with the 3D hydrangea-like structure improved the intrinsic conductivity and provided fast ion diffusion channels, boosting the electrochemical kinetics; while the favorable adsorption of Na2S and weakened Na-S bond at Mo4/3B2Tx-Mo interface optimized the recombination energies of Mo-S bond, accelerating the ion diffusion and enhancing the electrochemical reversibility. In addition, the copious sulfur vacancies provided additional active sites for ion storage, ameliorating the electrochemical capacity. As expected, the novel Mo4/3B2Tx-MoS2@C electrode delivered a satisfactory rate capacity (340.6 mAh g−1 at 1 A g−1) and durable cyclic performance (267.2 mAh g−1 after 600 cycles at 2 A g−1). When paring with Na3V2(PO4)3, the Mo4/3B2Tx-MoS2@C||Na3V2(PO4)3 full cell exhibited high energy densities of 234.0 and 131.7 Wh kg−1 at 215.7 W kg−1 and 4.4 kW kg−1, respectively. The proposed synergistic strategy of heterogeneous interface and Na2S adsorption/conversion active sites provided a new guidance for the rational design of transitional metal sulfide anodes for sodium ion batteries.