Synthesis and properties of halloysite templated tubular MoS2 as cathode material for rechargeable aqueous Zn-ion batteries

Abstract

Aqueous Zn-ion battery (ZIB) is recognized as one of the most promising candidates for large-scale energy storage due to its unique properties of excellent safety, cost effectiveness and environmental benignity. However, the application of ZIB is hampered by the restricted availability of suitable cathode materials. In this work, porous tubular MoS2 was prepared by template-assisted thermal decomposition, in which (NH4)2MoS4 was utilized as a precursor and natural halloysite as a template. As a promising cathode material for ZIB, the prepared MoS2 exhibited a good specific capacity of 146.2 mAh g-1 at 0.2 A g-1 and excellent cycling performance with 74.0% capacity retention after 800 cycles. Furthermore, the proposed MoS2 demonstrated a great rate capability even at 1 A g-1. This work provides a promising cathode material for ZIBs, and opens up new possibilities for its future application in renewable energy storage.