Researchers from China's Jiangnan University and Dalian University of Technology have designed MoS2/rGO nanoflowers as cathodes for aluminum-ion batteries (AIBs).
Aluminum-ion batteries (AIBs) show promise thanks to their high aluminum reserves, high theoretical specific capacity, and high safety. However, their actual capacity is far lower than the real capacity due to the limitation of cathode. The team's new strategy utilizes reduced graphene oxide-intercalated MoS2 nanoflowers for AIB cathodes, via a hydrothermal method. This approach promoted the transition of MoS2 crystal phase from 2H to 1 T, and the expansion of interlayer spacing from 0.62 nm to 1.03 nm, overcoming the shortcomings of slow electrochemical reaction kinetics and low capacity caused by the outstanding semiconductor properties of 2H MoS2 and the compact interlayers.
The resulting batteries had a capacity of up to 143 mAh g−1, high Coulombic efficiency up to 96.9% at 1 A g−1. The batteries retained 95.6% of the original capacity after 1000 cycles. Notably, it retains 75 mAh g−1 at ultrahigh current densities of 10 A g−1 over 10,000 cycles.
This novel methodology opens up a way to design cathode architecture for next-generation AIBs. It also provides a new perspective for the design and preparation of other battery systems.
