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).