LAUSR

Abstract Metal Sb is considered as alternative candidate anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to its high capacity, but the significant volume expansion during the charge and discharge process cause poor stability seriously influencing on the practical application in batteries. Herein, a facile and scalable method is developed for preparation of Sb/MoS2/C composite using the cubic NaCl particles as template. The Sb nanoparticles embedded deeply in carbon nanosheets buffer the internal stress caused by the volume expansion of Sb and avoid the direct exposure of electrolyte to the Sb nanoparticles. The MoS2 nanoparticles can provide more active sites to store more Li+ and speed up the migration rate of Li+. Tested as an anode material, the Sb/MoS2/C composite shows outstanding rate capability (763 mA h g−1 at 0.2 A g−1, 642.2 mA h g−1 at 0.5 A g−1, 544 mA h g−1 at 1.0 A g−1, 459 mA h g−1 at 2.0 A g−1 and 353 mA h g−1 at 5.0 A g−1) and long cycling stability (a high capacity of 679.5 mA h g−1 is achieved at 0.2 A g−1 after 250 cycles).