Facile synthesis of MoSe2/carbon nanotubes (CNTs) composite with improved electrochemical performance for lithium/sodium storage

MoSe2/carbon nanotubes (CNTs) composite was synthesized by a hydrothermal method and followed by annealing in Ar gas using Na2MoO4 center dot 2H(2)O, CN2H4Se, and NH2OH center dot HCl as reactants in the presence of CNTs. The products were characterized by X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results show that the introduction of CNTs plays a crucial role in the morphology and electrochemical performance as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). The MoSe2/CNT electrode exhibits a high reversible capacity of 1140 mAh g(-1) and 1014 mAh g(-1) at the current density of 100 mA g(-1) for LIBs and SIBs, respectively. The MoSe2/CNT electrode exhibits higher capacity, better cycling stability compared with the bare MoSe2. The MoSe2 and MoSe2/CNT composite behave good electrochemical properties may be due to their flower-like nanosheets, well-stacked layers, and 3D CNTs networks. The results suggest that the MoSe2/CNT composite could be a promising anode material for LIB and SIB applications. Moreover, our present work provides a new approach for the fabrication of well-crystalline MoSe2 material and further applications in lithium/sodium storage.