Co-Construction of Sulfur Vacancies and Heterojunctions in Tungsten Disulfide to Induce Fast Electronic/Ionic Diffusion Kinetics for Sodium-Ion Batteries

Engineering novel electrode materials with unique architectures has a significant impact on tuning the structural/electrochemical properties for boosting the performance of secondary battery systems. Herein, starting from well-organized WS₂ nanorods, an ingenious design of a one-step method is proposed to prepare a bimetallic sulfide composite with a coaxial carbon coating layer, simply enabled by ZIF-8 introduction. Rich sulfur vacancies and WS₂/ZnS heterojunctions can be simultaneously developed, that significantly improve ionic and electronic diffusion kinetics. In addition, a homogeneous carbon protective layer around the surface of the composite guarantees an outstanding structural stability, a reversible capacity of 170.8 mAh g⁻¹ after 5000 cycles at a high rate of 5 A g⁻¹. A great potential in practical application is also exhibited, where a full cell based on the WS_2−x/ZnS@C anode and the P2-Na_2/3Ni_1/3Mn_1/3O₂ cathode can maintain a reversible capacity of 89.4 mAh g⁻¹ after 500 cycles at 1 A g⁻¹. Moreover, the underlying electrochemical Na storage mechanisms are illustrated in detail by theoretical calculations, electrochemical kinetic analysis, and operando X-ray diffraction characterization.