Ultrathin MoS₂ Nanosheets Supported on N-doped Carbon Nanoboxes with Enhanced Lithium Storage and Electrocatalytic Properties

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) has received considerable interest for electrochemical energy storage and conversion. In this work, we have designed and synthesized a unique hybrid hollow structure by growing ultrathin MoS₂ nanosheets on N-doped carbon shells (denoted as C@MoS₂ nanoboxes). The N-doped carbon shells can greatly improve the conductivity of the hybrid structure and effectively prevent the aggregation of MoS₂ nanosheets. The ultrathin MoS₂ nanosheets could provide more active sites for electrochemical reactions. When evaluated as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries, these C@MoS₂ nanoboxes show high specific capacity of around 1000 mAh g^-1, excellent cycling stability up to 200 cycles, and superior rate performance. Moreover, they also show enhanced electrocatalytic activity for the electrochemical hydrogen evolution. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.