Use of a diatomite template to prepare a MoS2/amorphous carbon composite and exploration of its electrochemical properties as a supercapacitor

Abstract

A MoS₂/amorphous carbon composite was prepared using diatomite as a template and ammonium thiomolybdate/sucrose as starting materials. The composite perfectly inherits the template morphology with a porous structure, in which MoS₂ possesses a structure with several layers, and amorphous carbon is partially inserted into the interlayer spaces of the MoS₂, inhibiting the restacking of the MoS₂ nanosheets along the (002) plane. The interlaminar distance of the adjacent MoS₂ nanosheets in the composite is 1.03 nm, which is approximately twice that between adjacent MoS₂ and carbon layers. The supercapacitor utilizing this composite exhibits a high specific capacitance, 167.3 F g⁻¹ at the current density of 0.5 A g⁻¹ and high rate capability, 96.4 F g⁻¹ at 10 A g⁻¹. Moreover, the capacitance retention is maintained at 93.2% after 1000 cycles, indicating excellent cycling stability. In contrast, the capacities of pure AC and MoS₂ are much lower, and also the cyclability of MoS₂. The overall improvement in electrochemical performance could be ascribed to the unique microstructure and the close combination of MoS₂ and amorphous carbon.