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

摘要

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.