Molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂), a typical two-dimensional material, is a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries because it has three times the theoretical capacity of graphite. The main challenges associated with MoS₂ anodes are the structural degradation and the low rate capability caused by the low intrinsic electric conductivity and large strain upon cycling. Here, we design hierarchical MoS₂ tubular structures internally wired by carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to tackle these problems. These porous MoS₂ tubular structures are constructed from building blocks of ultrathin nanosheets, which are believed to benefit the electrochemical reactions. Benefiting from the unique structural and compositional characteristics, these CNT-wired MoS₂ tubular structures deliver a very high specific capacity of ~1320 mAh g^-1 at a current density of 0.1 A g^-1, exceptional rate capability, and an ultralong cycle life of up to 1000 cycles. This work may inspire new ideas for constructing high-performance electrodes for electrochemical energy storage.

Science Advances 13 Jul 2016:
Vol. 2, no. 7, e1600021
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1600021

http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/2/7/e1600021