Liquid Processed\nNano As<sub>4</sub>S<sub>4</sub>/SWCNTs\nComposite Electrodes for High-Performance Li-Ion and Na-Ion Battery\nAnodes

The liquid-phase exfoliation process has been successfully\napplied\nto nonlayered materials to produce quasi-2D nanoplatelets. A slight\nvariation in bonding anisotropy in the starting material can result\nin the formation of 2D platelet-shaped particles with a relatively\nlow aspect ratio. This advancement offers a promising strategy to\ncreate 2D materials from previously unexplored materials. In this\nstudy, we investigate the liquid-phase exfoliation of arsenic sulfide\n(As<sub>4</sub>S<sub>4</sub>), an intriguing nonlayered van der Waals\nmaterial. The liquid exfoliation process generates highly disordered,\nlow aspect ratio quasi-2D platelets. These As<sub>4</sub>S<sub>4</sub> flakes can be easily mixed with carbon nanotubes to create nanocomposite\nanodes, which are appropriate for use in both Li-ion and Na-ion batteries\neliminating the need for extra binders or conductive additives. The\nAs<sub>4</sub>S<sub>4</sub>/SWCNT electrodes exhibit impressive low-rate\ncapacities of 1202 mA h g<sup>–1</sup> at 0.1 A g<sup>–1</sup> for Li-ion cells and 753 mA h g<sup>–1</sup> at 0.05 A g<sup>–1</sup> for Na-ion cells, along with commendable cycling\nstability over more than 300 cycles. Detailed quantitative rate assessment\nclearly shows that these electrodes are limited by solid-state diffusion\nand emphasizing the possibility of reaching a capacity that comes\nclose to the theoretical value which confirms the near full utilization\nof the active material.