3D urchin-like architectures assembled by MnS nanorods encapsulated in N-doped carbon tubes for superior lithium storage capability

With a remarkable advantage of high capacity, manganese sulfides have been considered as promising anode materials for lithium storage. However, they suffer from low electrical conductivity and severe volume variation during charge/discharge process, leading to electrode pulverization and rapid capacity decay. To address these challenges, herein, a three-dimensional (3D) urchin-like composite structure assembled by MnS nanorods encapsulated in N-doped carbon tubes (MnS@NC) has been rationally designed. When evaluated as anode for lithium-ion battery, the MnS@NC composites displayed high reversible capacity (885 mAh g⁻¹ after 400 cycles at 400 mA g⁻¹) and outstanding rate performance (624, 505, 404 and 306 mAh g⁻¹ at current densities of 0.8, 1.6, 3.2 and 6.4 A g⁻¹, respectively). The remarkable electrochemical performance can be ascribed to the unique 3D urchin-like structure and the protection of N-doped carbon tubes, which not only effectively maintain the structural integrity of the electrode, but also improve the electrical conductivity of active material and buffer the volume variation during charge/discharge process.