Magnesium (Mg) batteries have garnered
considerable interest
because
of their safety characteristics and low costs. However, the practical
application of Mg batteries is hindered by the slow diffusion of Mg
ions in the cathode materials. In this study, we prepared NiS1.97 quantum dot composites with nitrogen doping and carbon
coating (NiS1.97 QDs@NC) using a one-step sulfurization
process with NiO QDs/Ni@NC as the precursor. We applied the prepared
NiS1.97 QDs/Ni@NC-based cathodes to Mg batteries because
of the large surface area of the quantum dot composite, which provided
abundant intercalation sites. This design ensured efficient deintercalation
of magnesium ions during charge–discharge processes. The fabricated
NiS1.97 QDs@NC displayed a high reversible Mg storage capacity
of 259.1 mAh g–1 at 100 mA g–1 and a good rate performance of 96.0 mAh g–1 at
1000 mA g–1. Quantum dot composites with large surface
areas provide numerous embedded sites, which ensure effective deintercalation
of Mg ions during cycling. Thus, the proposed cathode synthesis strategy
is promising for Mg-ion-based energy storage systems.