Improved Na Storage Performance with the Involvement of Nitrogen-Doped Conductive Carbon into WS₂ Nanosheets

Abstract

Tungsten disulfide (WS2) material is regarded as one of the most promising anode candidates for sodium ion batteries (SIBs). However, the exploration of this material still remains a great challenge to improve its cycling capacity. In this paper, nitrogen-doped conductive carbon/WS2 nanocomposites (WS2-NC) were fabricated based on the synthesis of the pure WS2 and conductive carbon/WS2 (WS2-C) nanocomposites. The reversible capacity of the as-prepared WS2-NC is stabilized at ∼360 mA h g(-1) at the density of 100 mA g(-1), even ∼200 mA h g(-1) at 1 A g(-1), presenting much better cycling performance than pure WS2 and conductive carbon/WS2 (WS2-C) samples. This excellent performance is further attributed to obviously promoted interfacial reaction in WS2 nanosheets at a low voltage platform (0.3-0.0 V), which is considered to closely relate to the incorporation of nitrogen-doped conductive carbon into WS2 nanosheets. Generally, this work presents an obviously enhanced Na storage performance by the incorporation of N-doped carbon into WS2 nanosheets to promote their interfacial reaction at low voltage platform. It could provide guidelines to create other high-capacity anode sulfide materials for SIBs.