Ice Templated Free-Standing Hierarchically WS2/CNT-rGO Aerogel for High-Performance Rechargeable Lithium and Sodium Ion Batteries

A hybrid nanoarchitecture aerogel composed of WS2 nanosheets and carbon nanotube-reduced graphene oxide (CNT-rGO) with ordered microchannel three-dimensional (3D) scaffold structure was synthesized by a simple solvothermal method followed by freeze-drying and post annealing process. The 3D ordered microchannel structures not only provide good electronic transportation routes, but also provide excellent ionic conductive channels, leading to an enhanced electrochemical performance as anode materials both for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). Significantly, WS2/CNT-rGO aerogel nanostructure can deliver a specific capacity of 749 mA h g(-1) at 100 mA g(-1) and a high first-cycle coulombic efficiency of 53.4% as the anode material of LIBs. In addition, it also can deliver a capacity of 311.4 mA h g(-1) at 100 mA g(-1), and retain a capacity of 252.9 mA h g(-1) at 200 mA g(-1) after 100 cycles as the anode electrode of SIBs. The excellent electrochemical performance is attributed to the synergistic effect between the WS2 nanosheets and CNT-rGO scaffold network and rational design of 3D ordered structure. These results demonstrate the potential applications of ordered CNT-rGO aerogel platform to support transition-metal-dichalcogenides (i.e., WS2) for energy storage devices and open up a route for material design for future generation energy storage devices.