Interfacial engineering of 0D/2D SnS₂ heterostructure onto nitrogen-doped graphene for boosted lithium storage capability

The interfacial engineering plays an important role in enhancing the electrochemical properties of graphene-based hybrid materials for energy conversion and storage. Herein, we propose a facile interfacial engineering route for achieving a novel type of SnS₂/N-doped graphene (SnS₂/NG) composite with superior lithium storage capability. Interestingly, the SnS₂ particles formed show two totally different morphologies including ultrasmall nanoparticles about 5 nm and ultrathin nanosheets, and they are strongly coupled with nitrogen-doped graphene, giving rise to a unique 0D/2D heterostructure. In the process, the multiple roles of the 3-aminophenol (AP) linker are well identified by combining the experimental results with the theoretical calculations, where a strong interface is successfully constructed between SnS₂ and functionalized graphene. The electrochemical test results demonstrate that the as-made SnS₂/NG composite exhibits a high lithium storage capacity (1101.3 mAh g^-1 at 100 mA g^-1), superior cycling stability (a capability fading of 0.04% per cycle for 200 cycles at 100 mA g^-1), as well as a good rate retention. Such a unique hierarchical nanostructure and the strong interfacial interaction between 0D/2D SnS₂ and nitrogen-doped graphene highlight the lithium storage performance of SnS₂/NG.