Synergistic effect of tailored 3D/2D Ti3C2Tx/CoS2/C nanostructured composite anode for significantly enhanced Li-ion storage

A beneficial strategy for enhancing the electronic conductivity of transition metal chalcogenides (TMCs) as lithium-ion battery anode material is through shortening the charge transfer path between the sulfide particles. However, the combination between the carbon-based matrix and electroactive materials is sometimes weak, which hinders the cycling stability. In this paper, the Ti-based MXene, T3C2Tx, was used as a conductive frame, combined with the ZIF-67-based CoS2/C grains yielding Ti3C2Tx/CoS2/C composite electrode through one-step and two-step synthesis methods, which displayed significantly enhanced capacity, rate performancem, and cycling stability. The compsoite reached a capacity retention of 82.6% after 100 cycles with a significantly higher capacity of 1020.5 mAh/g at 0.2 A/g current density. After 100 discharge-charge cycles, the Ti3C2Tx/CoS2/C composite revealed a low volume expansion of 9.5%, suggesting superior structural integrity and stability with the synergistic effect of both MXene 2D and CoS2/C 3D nanostructures.