Crystallization of TiO2-MoS2 Hybrid Material under Hydrothermal Treatment and Its Electrochemical Performance

Abstract

Hydrothermal crystallization was used to synthesize an advanced hybrid system containing titania and molybdenum disulfide (with a TiO2:MoS2 molar ratio of 1:1). The way in which the conditions of hydrothermal treatment (180 and 200 °C) and thermal treatment (500 °C) affect the physicochemical properties of the products was determined. A physicochemical analysis of the fabricated materials included the determination of the microstructure and morphology (scanning and transmission electron microscopy—SEM and TEM), crystalline structure (X-ray diffraction method—XRD), chemical surface composition (energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy—EDS) and parameters of the porous structure (low-temperature N2 sorption), as well as the chemical surface concentration (X-ray photoelectron spectroscop—XPS). It is well known that lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) represent a renewable energy source and a type of energy storage device. The increased demand for energy means that new materials with higher energy and power densities continue to be the subject of investigation. The objective of this research was to obtain a new electrode (anode) component characterized by high work efficiency and good electrochemical properties. The synthesized TiO2-MoS2 material exhibited much better electrochemical stability than pure MoS2 (commercial), but with a specific capacity ca. 630 mAh/g at a current density of 100 mA/g.