A one-pot route to multi-metal sulfide/carbon composite with enhanced lithium-ion storage capability

Based on virtues of high electrochemical activity, good structural stability, abundant active sites, and beneficial synergies, multi-metal sulfide/carbon (MMS/C) composites are of tremendous interest in diverse fields, including catalysis, energy, sensing, and environmental science. However, the cumbersome, inefficient, and environmentally unfriendly synthesis approach of MMS/C composites hinders their practical application. Herein, we report a straightforward and universal route to produce MMS/C composites. This route based on homogeneous multi-phase interface engineering enables the realization of 14 kinds of MMS/C composites presented as examples with well-organized composite structures, tunable components, and dense heterointerfaces. Thanks to their composition and structure benefits, the resultant typical MMS/C composite exhibits efficient, fast, and persistent lithium-ion storage performances. The as-prepared ZnS-Co9S8/C composite anode delivered a remarkable rate performance with capacity retention of 54% at a 20-fold current density, and an ascendant invertible capacity of 651 mAh·g−1 at 0.1 A·g−1 after 600 cycles. This work contributes percipience for design philosophies of MMS/C composites and carves out a productive way for their simplified fabrication.