Novel electrospun bead-like Ag2MoO4 nanofibers coated on Ni foam for visible light-driven heterogeneous photocatalysis and high-performance supercapacitor electrodes

Abstract

Novel Ag₂MoO₄ nanocomposite fibers were designed to enhance the photocatalytic response and supercapacitor performance of MoO₃ grown via the sol–gel electrospinning technique. The Ag₂MoO₄ nanocomposite fibers exhibit a high specific surface area of 49.3 m² g⁻¹ comprising nanobeads that aggregate in the fibrous structure. The photodegradation efficiency of Ag₂MoO₄ was evaluated as 62% under visible light irradiation which improved to 71% with heterogeneous photocatalysis. The Ag₂MoO₄@Ni foam exhibited a low R_ct of 19.6 Ω, and an enhanced specific capacitance of 1445 F g⁻¹ was obtained at 1 A g⁻¹, with 93% of its initial capacitance remaining after 5000 cycles. In addition, the Ag₂MoO₄//activated carbon asymmetric supercapacitor possesses an excellent energy density of 76.6 W h kg⁻¹ at 743.2 W kg⁻¹ and a noteworthy cycling durability of 91% after 5000 cycles. Our findings demonstrate that the electrospun Ag₂MoO₄@Ni foam is an important and inexpensive electrode material for supercapacitor applications and visible light-driven heterogeneous photocatalysis, drawing on the synergic effects of Ag and Mo to exhibit much better performance.