Novel NiCo2S4 nanorod arrays grown on carbon nanofibers as high-performance anodes for sodium-ion batteries

Abstract

Novel NiCo₂S₄ nanorod arrays are uniformly grown on carbon nanofibers (NiCo₂S₄@CNF) through a facile hydrothermal approach. The elaborate designed composite structure ensures that the NiCo₂S₄ nanorods arrays are uniformly dispersed on the surfaces of carbon nanofibers (CNF) and tightly bonded with each other. Conductive networks of CNF facilitate the electron transport at the interfaces to readily react with NiCo₂S₄, thereby enhancing sodium storage. In view of this, NiCo₂S₄@CNF exhibits a high reversible capacity (683.6 mAh g⁻¹ at 0.1 A g⁻¹) and excellent long-term cycling stability (with only a 0.07% capacity loss per cycle after 400 cycles). This work provides a simple and efficient strategy for synthesizing high-performance sodium-ion battery electrodes.