Amorphous CoMoS4 Nanoparticles Attached to CNTs@PDA as High-Performance Anode Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries

It is necessary to design an anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) with good lithium storage capacity. In the present work, the CNTs@PDA/CoMoS4 composite materials were prepared through self-polymerization of dopamine (PDA) and coating on carbon nanotubes and then deposition of CoMoS4 by a hydrothermal method. Benefited from the formation of the coordination bond between the hydroxyl groups of PDA and the metal ions of CoMoS4, the combination between the CNTs@PDA matrix and CoMoS4 nanoparticles is effectively enhanced. As a result, CoMoS4 nanoparticles grow uniformly on the surface of CNTs@PDA, which reduces the diffusion length of Li+ and improves the electronic transmission efficiency. The CNTs@PDA/CoMoS4 as an anode material exhibits outstanding electrochemical properties in terms of a high capacity of 1025.2 mA h·g–1 after 100 cycles at 0.1 A·g–1. Meanwhile, its capacity is 490.3 mA h·g–1 after 200 cycles at 1 A·g–1. The desirable electrochemical properties combined with the stable structure and the facile synthesis route make CNTs@PDA/CoMoS4 composites a potential candidate for high-performance LIBs.