Strongly Coupled MoS₂ Nanocrystal/Ti₃ C₂ Nanosheet Hybrids Enable High-Capacity Lithium-Ion Storage

Smart integration of transition-metal sulfides/oxides/nitrides with the conductive MXene to form hybrid materials is very promising in the development of high-performance anodes for next-generation Li-ion batteries (LIBs) owing to their advantages of high specific capacity, favorable Li⁺ intercalation structure, and superior conductivity. Herein, a facile route was proposed to prepare strongly coupled MoS₂ nanocrystal/Ti₃ C₂ nanosheet hybrids through freeze-drying combined with a subsequent thermal process. The Ti₃ C₂ host could enhance the reaction kinetics and buffer the volume change of MoS₂ at a low content (8.87 wt %). Thus, the MoS₂ /Ti₃ C₂ hybrids could deliver high rate performance and excellent cycling durability. As such, high reversible capacities of 835.1 and 706.0 mAh g^-1 could be maintained after 110 cycles at 0.5 A g^-1 and 1390 cycles at 5 A g^-1 , respectively, as well as an outstanding rate capability with a capacity retention over 65.8 % at 5 A g^-1 . This synthetic strategy could be easily extended to synthesize other high-performance MXene-supported hybrid electrode materials.