Interfacial engineering driven Cu2-xS/ZnS composite by one-step synthesis as an ultrastable anode for lithium-ion storage

Metal sulfide is a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries due to their unique layered structure and high theoretical specific capacity. However, the challenge lies in enhancing electronic conductivity and cycling stability. An effective method to enhance the rate capability and cycle performance of metal sulfide materials is to construct the hybrid structure. In this paper, the interfacial engineering of multiple sulfides is explored to develop ideal lithium-ion storage anode materials. Hence, the one-step mixed hydrothermal method was used to synthesize the Cu 2-x S/ZnS hybrid structure. The synthesized Cu 2-x S/ZnS hybrid structure exhibits better lithium storage performance and higher electronic conductivity compared with the single Cu 2-x S, which has resulted from the existence of the phase interface generating the built-in electric field and boosting Li + storage properties at the phase interfaces. In comparison with the single Cu 2-x S, the results display that the Cu 2-x S/ZnS hybrid structure shows enhanced rate capability and prominent long-term cycling performance (416.9 mAh g −1 at 1 A g −1 after 1300 cycles). This strategy demonstrates that the construction of hybrid structure can improve the electronic conductivity and structure stability for other advanced anode materials.