Interface-modulated fabrication of hierarchical yolk–shell Co<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript>/C dodecahedrons as stable anodes for lithium and sodium storage

Transition-metal oxides (TMOs) have gradually attracted attention from researchers as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) because of their high theoretical capacity.However,their poor cycling stability and inferior rate capability resulting from the large volume variation during the lithiation/sodiation process and their low intrinsic electronic conductivity limit their applications.To solve the problems of TMOs,carbon-based metal-oxide composites with complex structures derived from metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as promising electrode materials for LIBs and SIBs.In this study,we adopted a facile interface-modulated method to synthesize yolk-shell carbon-based Co3O4 dodecahedrons derived from ZIF-67 zeolitic imidazolate frameworks.This strategy is based on the interface separation between the ZIF-67 core and the carbon-based shell during the pyrolysis process.The unique yolk-shell structure effectively accommodates the volume expansion during lithiation or sodiation,and the carbon matrix improves the electrical conductivity of the electrode.As an anode for LIBs,the yolk-shell Co3O4/C dodecahedrons exhibit a high specific capacity and excellent cycling stability (1,100 mAh·g-1 after 120 cycles at 200 mA·g-1).As an anode for SIBs,the composites exhibit an outstanding rate capability (307 mAh·g-1 at 1,000 mA·g-1 and 269 mAh·g-1 at 2,000 mA·g-1).Detailed electrochemical kinetic analysis indicates that the energy storage for Li+ and Na+ in yolk-shell Co3O4/C dodecahedrons shows a dominant capacitive behavior.This work introduces an effective approach for fabricating carbonbased metal-oxide composites by using MOFs as ideal precursors and as electrode materials to enhance the electrochemical performance of LIBs and SIBs.     

Sodium/Potassium-Ion Batteries: Boosting the Rate Capability and Cycle Life by Combining Morphology,Defect and Structure Engineering

Carbon-based materials have been considered as the most promising anode materials for both sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) and potassium-ion batteries (PIBs), owing to their good chemical stability, high electrical conductivity, and environmental benignity. However, due to the large sizes of sodium and potassium ions, it is a great challenge to realize a carbon anode with high reversible capacity, long cycle life, and high rate capability. Herein, by rational design, N-doped 3D mesoporous carbon nanosheets (N-CNS) are successfully synthesized, which can realize unprecedented electrochemical performance for both SIBs and PIBs. The N-CNS possess an ultrathin nanosheet structure with hierarchical pores, ultrahigh level of pyridinic N/pyrrolic N, and an expanded interlayer distance. The beneficial features that can enhance the Na-/K-ion intercalation/deintercalation kinetic process, shorten the diffusion length for both ions and electrons, and accommodate the volume change are demonstrated. Hence, the N-CNS-based electrode delivers a high capacity of 239 mAh g⁻¹ at 5 A g⁻¹ after 10 000 cycles for SIBs and 321 mAh g⁻¹ at 5 A g⁻¹ after 5000 cycles for PIBs. First-principles calculation shows that the ultrahigh doping level of pyridinic N/pyrrolic N contributes to the enhanced sodium and potassium storage performance by modulating the charge density distribution on the carbon surface.     

Unique Cobalt Sulfide/Reduced Graphene Oxide Composite as an Anode for Sodium‐Ion Batteries with Superior Rate Capability and Long Cycling Stability

Exploitation of high‐performance anode materials is essential but challenging to the development of sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs). Among all proposed anode materials for SIBs, sulfides have been proved promising candidates due to their unique chemical and physical properties. In this work, a facile solvothermal method to in situ decorate cobalt sulfide (CoS) nanoplates on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) to build CoS@rGO composite is described. When evaluated as anode for SIBs, an impressive high specific capacity (540 mAh g^?1 at 1 A g^?1), excellent rate capability (636 mAh g^?1 at 0.1 A g^?1 and 306 mAh g^?1 at 10 A g^?1), and extraordinarily cycle stability (420 mAh g^?1 at 1 A g^?1 after 1000 cycles) have been demonstrated by CoS@rGO composite for sodium storage. The synergetic effect between the CoS nanoplates and rGO matrix contributes to the enhanced electrochemical performance of the hybrid composite. The results provide a facile approach to fabricate promising anode materials for high‐performance SIBs.     

Designed Formation of Hybrid Nanobox Composed of Carbon Sheathed CoSe2 Anchored on Nitrogen‐Doped Carbon Skeleton as Ultrastable Anode for Sodium‐Ion Batteries

Research on sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs) has recently been revitalized due to the unique features of much lower costs and comparable energy/power density to lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs), which holds great potential for grid‐level energy storage systems. Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) are considered as promising anode candidates for SIBs with high theoretical capacity, while their intrinsic low electrical conductivity and large volume expansion upon Na⁺ intercalation raise the challenging issues of poor cycle stability and inferior rate performance. Herein, the designed formation of hybrid nanoboxes composed of carbon‐protected CoSe₂ nanoparticles anchored on nitrogen‐doped carbon hollow skeletons (denoted as CoSe₂@C∩NC) via a template‐assisted refluxing process followed by conventional selenization treatment is reported, which exhibits tremendously enhanced electrochemical performance when applied as the anode for SIBs. Specifically, it can deliver a high reversible specific capacity of 324 mAh g^?1 at current density of 0.1 A g^?1 after 200 cycles and exhibit outstanding high rate cycling stability at the rate of 5 A g^?1 over 2000 cycles. This work provides a rational strategy for the design of advanced hybrid nanostructures as anode candidates for SIBs, which could push forward the development of high energy and low cost energy storage devices.     

Enhanced electrode kinetics and electrochemical properties of low-cost NaFe2PO4(SO4)2 via Ca2+doping as cathode material for sodium-ion batteries

In recent years,sodium-ion batteries(SIBs)have been considered as one of the most promising alterna-tives to lithium-ion batteries(LIBs).Here,a new Na-super-ionic conductor(NASICON)cathode material NaFe2PO4(SO4)2 is successfully prepared through solid state method for SIBs.While the poor electronic conductivity of iron-based materials results in its poor rate and cycle performance.Then the electro-chemical is effectively promoting via Ca2+doping.Na0.84Ca0.08Fe2PO4(SO4)2 have achieved considerable electrochemical properties.The first discharge specific capacity is 121.6mAhg-1 at 25mAg-1 with the voltage platform(～3.1 V)corresponding to Fe2+/3+.After 100 cycles,the capacity retention is 55.1％.The excellent electrochemical performance is caused by some Na+is substituted by Ca2+and leading to the fast sodium kinetics,which is well proved by the powder X-ray diffraction pattern and well corresponding to the galvanostatic intermittent titration technique and cyclic voltammetry testing result(the diffusivity values are around at 10-12 cm2 s-1).     

Insights into the Ti4+ doping in P2-type Na0.67Ni0.33Mn0.52Ti0.15O2 for enhanced performance of sodium-ion batteries

Due to the sodium abundance and availability,sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have the potential to meet the worldwide growing demand of electrical energy storage.P2-type sodium transition-metal layer oxides with a high energy density are considered as the most promising cathode materials for SIBs.We present here a detailed study of the enhanced rate capability and cyclic stability of the Ti-doped Na0.67Ni0.33Mn0.67O2 cathode material.The combined analysis of ex-situ X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy,aberration-corrected high resolution transmission electron microscopy (AB-HRTEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) show that the strong Ti-O bond in the transition metal layers stabilizes the local structure,destroy the Na+-vacancy ordering and arrest the irreversible multiphase transformation that occurs during the intercalation/deintercalation process.Actually,Na0.67Ni0.33Mn0.52Ti0.15O2 exhibits a reversible capacity of 89.6 mA h g-1 even at 5 C,an excellent cyclability with 88.78 ％ capacity retention after 200 cycles at 0.5 C.This study provides a better understanding in optimization of the design of high-energy cathode materials based on titanium doped layered oxides for SIBs.     

NaFeTiO4 nanorod/multi-walled carbon nanotubes composite as an anode material for sodium-ion batteries with high performances in both half and full cells

NaFeTiO4 nanorods of high yields (with diameters in the range of 30-50 nm and lengths of up to 1-5 μm) were synthesized by a facile sol-gel method and were utilized as an anode material for sodium-ion batteries for the first time.The obtained NaFeTiO4 nanorods exhibit a high initial discharge capacity of 294 mA·h·g-1 at 0.2 C (1 C =177 mA·g-1),and remain at 115 mA·h·g-1 after 50 cycles.Furthermore,multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were mechanically milled with the pristine material to obtain NaFeTiO4/MWCNTs.The NaFeTiO4/MWCNTs electrode exhibits a significantly improved electrochemical performance with a stable discharge capacity of 150 mA·h·g-1 at 0.2 C after 50 cycles,and remains at 125 mA·h·g-1 at 0.5 C after 420 cycles.The NaFeTiO4/MWCNTs//Na3V2(PO4)3/C full cell was assembled for the first time;it displays a discharge capacity of 70 mA·h·g-1 after 50 cycles at 0.05 C,indicating its excellent performances.X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy,ex situ X-ray diffraction,and Raman measurements were performed to investigate the initial electrochemical mechanisms of the obtained NaFeTiO4/MWCNTs.     

SnO2 Quantum Dots: Rational Design to Achieve Highly Reversible Conversion Reaction and Stable Capacities for Lithium and Sodium Storage

SnO₂ has been considered as a promising anode material for lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) and sodium ion batteries (SIBs), but challenging as well for the low‐reversible conversion reaction and coulombic efficiency. To address these issues, herein, SnO₂ quantum dots (≈5 nm) embedded in porous N‐doped carbon matrix (SnO₂/NC) are developed via a hydrothermal step combined with a self‐polymerization process at room temperature. The ultrasmall size in quantum dots can greatly shorten the ion diffusion distance and lower the internal strain, improving the conversion reaction efficiency and coulombic efficiency. The rich mesopores/micropores and highly conductive N‐doped carbon matrix can further enhance the overall conductivity and buffer effect of the composite. As a result, the optimized SnO₂/NC‐2 composite for LIBs exhibits a high coulombic efficiency of 72.9%, a high discharge capacity of 1255.2 mAh g^?1 at 0.1 A g^?1 after 100 cycles and a long life‐span with a capacity of 753 mAh g^?1 after 1500 cycles at 1 A g^?1. The SnO₂/NC‐2 composite also displays excellent performance for SIBs, delivering a superior discharge capacity of 212.6 mAh g^?1 at 1 A g^?1 after 3000 cycles. These excellent results can be of visible significance for the size effect of the uniform quantum dots.     

Reactive Oxygen‐Doped 3D Interdigital Carbonaceous Materials for Li and Na Ion Batteries

Carbonaceous materials as anodes usually exhibit low capacity for lithium ion batteries (LIBs) and sodium ion batteries (SIBs). Oxygen‐doped carbonaceous materials have the potential of high capacity and super rate performance. However, up to now, the reported oxygen‐doped carbonaceous materials usually exhibit inferior electrochemical performance. To overcome this problem, a high reactive oxygen‐doped 3D interdigital porous carbonaceous material is designed and synthesized through epitaxial growth method and used as anodes for LIBs and SIBs. It delivers high reversible capacity, super rate performance, and long cycling stability (473 mA h g^?1after 500 cycles for LIBs and 223 mA h g^?1 after 1200 cycles for SIBs, respectively, at the current density of 1000 mA g^?1), with a capacity decay of 0.0214% per cycle for LIBs and 0.0155% per cycle for SIBs. The results demonstrate that constructing 3D interdigital porous structure with reactive oxygen functional groups can significantly enhance the electrochemical performance of oxygen‐doped carbonaceous material.     

Nitrogen Doped γ‐Graphyne: A Novel Anode for High‐Capacity Rechargeable Alkali‐Ion Batteries

High energy density is the major demand for next‐generation rechargeable batteries, while the intrinsic low alkali metal adsorption of traditional carbon–based electrode remains the main challenge. Here, the mechanochemical route is proposed to prepare nitrogen doped γ‐graphyne (NGY) and its high capacity is demonstrated in lithium (LIBs)/sodium (SIBs) ion batteries. The sample delivers large reversible Li (1037 mAh g^?1) and Na (570.4 mAh g^?1) storage capacities at 100 mA g^?1 and presents excellent rate capabilities (526 mAh g^?1 for LIBs and 180.2 mAh g^?1 for SIBs) at 5 A g^?1. The superior Li/Na storage mechanisms of NGY are revealed by its 2D morphology evolution, quantitative kinetics, and theoretical calculations. The effects on the diffusion barriers (E_b) and adsorption energies (E_ad) of Li/Na atoms in NGY are also studied and imine‐N is demonstrated to be the ideal doping format to enhance the Li/Na storage performance. Besides, the Li/Na adsorption routes in NGY are optimized according to the experimental and the first‐principles calculation results. This work provides a facile way to fabricate high capacity electrodes in LIBs/SIBs, which is also instructive for the design of other heteroatomic doped electrodes.     

Regulating Steric Hindrance in Redox-Active Porous Organic Frameworks Achieves Enhanced Sodium Storage Performance

The development of novel redox-active polymers for sustainable sodium ion batteries (SIBs) has captured growing attention, but battery performance has been significantly limited by poor reversible specific capacities, where the majority of aromatic C6-benzene linkages are redox inactive. Here, a simple, yet efficient approach to improve sodium (Na) storage on these C6-benzene rings within a porous polymeric framework by rationally regulating their steric hindrance is reported. Decreasing intrinsic hindrance affords a significant improvement in redox reaction kinetics within the porous architecture, thereby facilitating the acceptance of Na ions on these functionalized benzene rings and boosting the SIB performance. As a result, the modulate porous framework exhibits an exceptional battery capacity of 376 mAh g^?1 after 1000 cycles at 1.0 A g^?1, which is ≈1.5 times larger than that of the pristine framework. Furthermore, the performance can reach as high as 510 mAh g^?1 at 0.1 A g^?1, comparable to that of the best-performing polymeric electrodes. The simple modulation approach not only enables Na storage modulation on functionalized C6-benzene rings, but also simultaneously provides a means to extend the understanding of the structure-property relationship and facilitate new possibilities for organic SIBs.     

Facile Synthesis of FePS3 Nanosheets@MXene Composite as a High-Performance Anode Material for Sodium Storage

Searching for advanced anode materials with excellent electrochemical properties in sodium-ion battery is essential and imperative for next-generation energy storage system to solve the energy shortage problem.In this work,two-dimensional(2D)ultrathin FePS3 nanosheets,a typical ternary metal phosphosulfide,are first prepared by ultrasonic exfoliation.The novel 2D/2D heterojunction of FePS3 nanosheets@MXene composite is then successfully synthesized by in situ mixing ultrathin MXene nanosheets with FePS3 nanosheets.The resultant FePS3 nanosheets@MXene hybrids can increase the electronic conductivity and specific surface area,assuring excellent surface and interfacial charge transfer abilities.Furthermore,the unique heterojunction endows FePS3 nanosheets@MXene composite to promote the diffusion of Na^+ and alleviate the drastic change in volume in the cyclic process,enhancing the sodium storage capability.Consequently,the few-layered FePS3 nanosheets uniformly coated by ultrathin MXene provide an exceptional reversible capacity of 676.1 mAh g^−1 at the current of 100 mA g^−1 after 90 cycles,which is equivalent to around 90.6% of the second-cycle capacity(746.4 mAh g^−1).This work provides an original protocol for constructing 2D/2D material and demonstrates the FePS3@MXene composite as a potential anode material with excellent property for sodium-ion batteries.     

Ultrafast Sodium/Potassium‐Ion Intercalation into Hierarchically Porous Thin Carbon Shells

The large‐scale application of sodium/potassium‐ion batteries is severely limited by the low and slow charge storage dynamics of electrode materials. The crystalline carbons exhibit poor insertion capability of large Na⁺/K⁺ ions, which limits the storage capability of Na/K batteries. Herein, porous S and N co‐doped thin carbon (S/N@C) with shell‐like (shell size ≈20–30 nm, shell wall ≈8–10 nm) morphology for enhanced Na⁺/K⁺ storage is presented. Thanks to the hollow structure and thin shell‐wall, S/N@C exhibits an excellent Na⁺/K⁺ storage capability with fast mass transport at higher current densities, leading to limited compromise over charge storage at high charge/discharge rates. The S/N@C delivers a high reversible capacity of 448 mAh g^‐1 for Na battery, at the current density of 100 mA g^‐1 and maintains a discharge capacity up to 337 mAh g^‐1 at 1000 mA g^‐1. Owing to shortened diffusion pathways, S/N@C delivers an unprecedented discharge capacity of 204 and 169 mAh g^‐1 at extremely high current densities of 16 000 and 32 000 mA g^‐1, respectively, with excellent reversible capacity for 4500 cycles. Moreover, S/N@C exhibits high K⁺ storage capability (320 mAh g^‐1 at current density of 50 mA g^‐1) and excellent cyclic life.     

Enhanced electrochemical performance of graphitic carbon-wrapped spherical FeOF nanoparticles using maleopimaric acid as a cathode material for sodium-ion batteries

Sodium-ion batteries(SIBs)are considered one of the most promising energy storage systems for replac-ing lithium-ion batteries because of the high abundance and low cost of sodium.Iron oxyfluoride(FeOF)is a promising conversion-based cathode material for SIBs because of its high theoretical capacity of about 855 mA h g-1,low-cost chemical compositions,and its lower sensitivity to the size of charged carrier ions.However,the poor electrical conductivity and ionic diffusion of FeOF result in a low rate capability and cyclability.In this work,FeOF nanoparticles wrapped by graphitic carbon layers were synthesized using abietic or maleopimaric acid as both the carbon source and organic ligand.In addition,the mor-phology of the FeOF particles was gradually controlled from rod to spherical shapes,simply depending on the rosin acids.The FeOF nanoparticles prepared with maleopimaric acid showed a large reversible discharge capacity of 356.7 mA h g-1 with a fading rate of 0.21％per cycle after 100 cycles at a current density of 100 mA g-1 and an excellent rate capability.     

Bulk Bismuth as a High‐Capacity and Ultralong Cycle‐Life Anode for Sodium‐Ion Batteries by Coupling with Glyme‐Based Electrolytes

Sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs) have attracted great interest for large‐scale electric energy storage in recent years. However, anodes with long cycle life and large reversible capacities are still lacking and therefore limiting the development of SIBs. Here, a bulk Bi anode with surprisingly high Na storage performance in combination with glyme‐based electrolytes is reported. This study shows that the bulk Bi electrode is gradually developed into a porous integrity during initial cycling, which is totally different from that in carbonate‐based electrolytes and ensures facile Na⁺ transport and structural stability. The achievable capacity of bulk Bi in the NaPF₆‐diglyme electrolyte is high up to 400 mAh g^?1, and the capacity retention is 94.4% after 2000 cycles, corresponding to a capacity loss of 0.0028% per cycle. It exhibits two flat discharge/charge plateaus at 0.67/0.77 and 0.46/0.64 V, ascribed to the typical two‐phase reactions of Bi ? NaBi and NaBi ? Na₃Bi, respectively. The excellent performance is attributed to the unique porous integrity, stable solid electrolyte interface, and good electrode wettability of glymes. This interplay between electrolyte and electrode to boost Na storage performance will pave a new pathway for high‐performance SIBs.     

Initiating Fluorine Chemistry in Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon-Derived Carbon for New Cluster-Mode Na Storage with Superhigh Capacity

Carbon materials are widely accepted as promising candidates for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) anodes due to their chemical stability and conductivity, while the capacity is still unsatisfactory. Here, this work reports the superhigh capacity Na storage through initiating fluorine chemistry (C F bonds) in carbon synthesized by the dehydrogenation and fluorination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon such as pitch. Experimental and theoretical investigations uncover that C F bonds exist at the form of dangling bonds (C F_x), which generates the coexistence of graphitic and defective nanodomains. It delivers a superhigh capacity of 450 mAh g⁻¹, far surpassing most of current SIBs carbon anodes. Theoretical calculation attributes this performance to a new Na storage mechanism that Na can be accommodated in the form of cluster rather than a single ion at each host site with F-doping. This work highlights the significance of carbon material chemistry in establishing the novel ion storage manner in SIBs and other batteries.     

Synergistically Designed Dual Interfaces to Enhance the Electrochemical Performance of MoO2/MoS2 in Na- and Li-Ion Batteries

It is indispensable to develop and design high capacity, high rate performance, long cycling life, and low-cost electrodes materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). Herein, MoO₂/MoS₂/C, with dual heterogeneous interfaces, is designed to induce a built-in electric field, which has been proved by experiments and theoretical calculation can accelerate electrochemical reaction kinetics and generate interfacial interactions to strengthen structural stability. The carbon foam serves as a conductive frame to assist the movement of electrons/ions, as well as forms heterogeneous interfaces with MoO₂/MoS₂ through C S and C O bonds, maintaining structural integrity and enhancing electronic transport. Thanks to these unique characteristics, the MoO₂/MoS₂/C renders a significantly enhanced electrochemical performance (324 mAh g⁻¹ at 1 A g⁻¹ after 1000 cycles for SIB and 500 mAh g⁻¹ at 1 A g⁻¹ after 500 cycles for LIBs). The current work presents a simple, useful and cost-effective route to design high-quality electrodes via interfacial engineering.     

A Flexible Film with SnS2 Nanoparticles Chemically Anchored on 3D‐Graphene Framework for High Areal Density and High Rate Sodium Storage

The design and construction of flexible electrodes that can function at high rates and high areal capacities are essential regarding the practical application of flexible sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs) and other energy storage devices, which remains significantly challenging by far. Herein, a flexible and 3D porous graphene nanosheet/SnS₂ (3D‐GNS/SnS₂) film is reported as a high‐performance SIB electrode. In this hybrid film, the GNS/SnS₂ microblocks serve as pillars to assemble into a 3D porous and interconnected framework, enabling fast electron/ion transport; while the GNS bridges the GNS/SnS₂ microblocks into a flexible framework to provide satisfactorily mechanical strength and long‐range conductivity. Moreover, the SnS₂ nanocrystals, which chemically bond with GNS, provide sufficient active sites for Na storage and ensure the cycling stability. Consequently, this flexible 3D‐GNS/SnS₂ film exhibits excellent Na‐storage performances, especially in terms of high areal capacity (2.45 mAh cm^?2) and high rates with superior stability (385 mAh g^?1 at 1.0 A g^?1 over 1000 cycles with ≈100% retention). A flexible SIB full cell using this anode exhibits high and stable performance under various bending situations. Thus, this work provide a feasible route to prepare flexible electrodes with high practical viability for not only SIBs but also other energy storage devices.     

Exposing {010} Active Facets by Multiple‐Layer Oriented Stacking Nanosheets for High‐Performance Capacitive Sodium‐Ion Oxide Cathode

As one of the most promising cathodes for rechargeable sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs), O3‐type layered transition metal oxides commonly suffer from inevitably complicated phase transitions and sluggish kinetics. Here, a Na[Li_0.05Ni_0.3Mn_0.5Cu_0.1Mg_0.05]O₂ cathode material with the exposed {010} active facets by multiple‐layer oriented stacking nanosheets is presented. Owing to reasonable geometrical structure design and chemical substitution, the electrode delivers outstanding rate performance (71.8 mAh g^?1 and 16.9 kW kg^?1 at 50C), remarkable cycling stability (91.9% capacity retention after 600 cycles at 5C), and excellent compatibility with hard carbon anode. Based on the combined analyses of cyclic voltammograms, ex situ X‐ray absorption spectroscopy, and operando X‐ray diffraction, the reaction mechanisms behind the superior electrochemical performance are clearly articulated. Surprisingly, Ni²⁺/Ni³⁺ and Cu²⁺/Cu³⁺ redox couples are simultaneously involved in the charge compensation with a highly reversible O3–P3 phase transition during charge/discharge process and the Na⁺ storage is governed by a capacitive mechanism via quantitative kinetics analysis. This optimal bifunctional regulation strategy may offer new insights into the rational design of high‐performance cathode materials for SIBs.     

Confinement Growth of Layered WS2 in Hollow Beaded Carbon Nanofibers with Synergistic Anchoring Effect to Reinforce Li+/Na+ Storage Performance

Novel nitrogen doped (N‐doped) hollow beaded structural composite carbon nanofibers are successfully applied for lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) and sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs). Tungsten disulfide (WS₂) nanosheets are confined, through synergistic anchoring, on the surface and inside of hollow beaded carbon nanofibers (HB CNFs) via a hydrothermal reaction method to construct the hierarchical structure HB WS₂@CNFs. Benefiting from this unique advantage, HB WS₂@CNFs exhibits remarkable lithium‐storage performance in terms of high rate capability (≈351 mAh g^?1 at 2 A g^?1) and stable long‐term cycle (≈446 mAh g^?1 at 1 A g^?1 after 100 cycles). Moreover, as an anode material for SIBs, HB WS₂@CNFs obtains excellent long cycle life and rate performance. During the charging/discharging process, the evolution of morphology and composition of the composite are analyzed by a set of ex situ methods. This synergistic anchoring effect between WS₂ nanosheets and HB CNFs is capable of effectively restraining volume expansion from the metal ions intercalation/deintercalation process and improving the cycling stability and rate performance in LIBs and SIBs.