Single-/few-layered ultrasmall WS2 nanoplates embedded in nitrogen-doped carbon nanofibers as a cathode for rechargeable aluminum batteries.

Composition carbon materials with metal chalcogenides for the application of energy storage have attracted great attention due to the combination of good conductivity with high capacity. In this work, ultrasmall few-/single-layered WS 2 @nitrogen-doped carbon nanofibers(WS 2 @NCNFs) are successfully synthesized via electrospinning and annealing. The WS 2 @NCNFs cathode exhibits a discharge capacity of 314.07 m A h g − 1 and maintains 195.81 m A h g − 1 after 100 cycles at 100 m A g − 1 , which is superior to that of the bulk WS 2 cathode. The special composite nanostructure endows the WS 2 @NCNFs cathode with outstanding aluminum storage performances, which may provide new insight for realizing more attractive two-dimensional layered cathode materials for rechargeable aluminum batteries. Image 1 • Single-/few-layered WS 2 embedded in NCNFs is synthesized. • WS 2 @NCNFs exhibits outstanding performance in RABs. • Both pseudocapacitive effect and battery behavior contribute to capacity. • Al3+ can intercalate into two different positions in WS 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]