The in situ formation of ZnS nanodots embedded in honeycomb-like N-S co-doped carbon nanosheets derived from waste biomass for use in lithium-ion batteries

A nanocomposite of zinc sulfide nanodots imbedded in honeycomb-like N-S co-doped carbon nanosheets (ZnS/NS-CN) was synthesized from waste biomass orange peel using ZnCl2 as the hard template and zinc source, and melamine and thiourea as the respective nitrogen and sulfur sources. When used as the anode material in Li-ion batteries, ZnS/NS-CN has a high reversible capacity (853.5 mAh g(-1) at 0.1 A g(-1) after 300 cycles), an excellent long-term cycling stability (70.1% capacity retention after 1 000 cycles at 5 A g(-1)) and an outstanding rate capability. Besides, a ZnS/NS-CN//LiNiCoMnO2 full cell tested at 0.5-4 V has an excellent battery performance (140.4 mAh g(-1) at 0.2 C after 150 cycles with an energy density of 132.4 Wh kg(-1)).