Bimetallic metal-organic framework derived transition metal sulfide microspheres as high-performance lithium/sodium storage materials

• A novel ZCS@NC@MS hierarchical composite was synthesized for the first time. • N-doped carbon and MoS 2 synergistically improve the electrochemical properties. • The heterointerface effectively facilitate the ions/electrons diffusion kinetics. • ZCS@NC@MS exhibits excellent electrochemical performance for LIBs and SIBs. MoS 2 as a promising electrode has aroused widely attention because of the high theoretical capacity. However, the poor electrical conductivity and large volume expansion seriously impede the practical application. Herein, we propose a novel hydrangea-like hierarchical Zn 0.76 Co 0.24 S@NC@MoS 2 (denoted as ZCS@NC@MS) composite by cultivating ultrathick MoS 2 nanoplates on N-doped carbon matrix derived from the bimetallic metal–organic framework. On the one hand, the N-doped carbon matrix can not only improve the electrical conductivity, but also mitigate the volume expansion. In addition, the heterointerfaces can induce the built-in electric field, thus facilitating the ion diffusion kinetics. Integrating the above advantages, ZCS@NC@MS as anode for lithium-ion batteries delivers an outstanding specific capacity of 1040.5 mAh g −1 at 0.1 A g −1 and a high reversible capacity of 680 mAh g −1 over 1000 cycles at 1.0 A g −1 . ZCS@NC@MS as anode for sodium-ion batteries also manifests an excellent specific capacity of 723.6 mAh g −1 at 0.1 A g −1 . The density functional theory calculation further confirms that heterointerfaces can effectively improve the reaction kinetic. Consequently, this novel strategy provides a new pathway to improve the energy storage performance of two-dimension transition metal sulfides.