Humate-assisted Synthesis of MoS2/C Nanocomposites via Co-Precipitation/Calcination Route for High Performance Lithium Ion Batteries

A facile, cost-effective, non-toxic, and surfactant-free route has been developed to synthesize MoS₂/carbon (MoS₂/C) nanocomposites. Potassium humate consists of a wide variety of oxygen-containing functional groups, which is considered as promising candidates for functionalization of graphene. Using potassium humate as carbon source, two-dimensional MoS₂/C nanosheets with irregular shape were synthesized via a stabilized co-precipitation/calcination process. Electrochemical performance of the samples as an anode of lithium ion battery was measured, demonstrating that the MoS₂/C nanocomposite calcinated at 700 °C (MoS₂/C-700) electrode showed outstanding performance with a high discharge capacity of 554.9 mAh g^{- 1} at a current density of 100 mA g^{- 1} and the Coulomb efficiency of the sample maintained a high level of approximately 100% after the first 3 cycles. Simultaneously, the MoS₂/C-700 electrode exhibited good cycling stability and rate performance. The success in synthesizing MoS₂/C nanocomposites via co-precipitation/calcination route may pave a new way to realize promising anode materials for high-performance lithium ion batteries.