MoS2/MoOx-Nanostructure-Decorated Activated Carbon Cloth for Enhanced Supercapacitor Performance

MoS2/MoOx nanostructures were grown on activated carbon cloth through a facile one-step microwave-assisted hydrothermal method. The growth of MoS2/MoOx on activated carbon cloth creates a unique structure that favors ion intercalation. The conductive activated carbon cloth, MoO3-x, and monoclinic MoO2 provide fast electron transport, whereas the MoS2 nanosheets/MoO3-x nanoparticles structure improves the capacitance. As a result, MoS2/MoOx-nanostructure-decorated activated carbon cloth shows a high specific capacitance of 230 Fg(-1) at a scan rate of 5 mVs(-1) with a low contact resistance of approximately 1.91. Moreover, the activated carbon cloth acts as a template for the growth of a perpendicular MoS2 layer, which gives an excellent utilization rate of the active MoS2/MoOx material. We also demonstrate that the MoS2/MoOx/activated carbon cloth nanocomposite shows excellent electrochemical stability with retention up to 128% after 1500 cycles. Finally, we show the use of a microwave-assisted hydrothermal method for the synthesis of the MoS2/MoOx/activated carbon cloth nanocomposite as an alternative and clean route to improve the kinetics of the intercalation redox reaction.