Controllable synthesis of 3D flower-like MoSe2 for high-performance zinc-ion storage
摘要
Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) are regarded as promising candidates for future energy storage systems. However, the design of high-performance cathode materials continues to present a significant challenge. Among the various candidates, MoSe2 has garnered increasing interest owing to its intrinsic electronic properties. Nevertheless, its practical application is hindered by severe nanosheet agglomeration and poor cycling stability. The present study introduces a one-step hydrothermal synthesis technique, which facilitates the controlled self-assembly of MoSe2 nanosheets into a three-dimensional flower-like morphology (3D-MoSe2), guided by high surface energy interactions. This unique structure effectively prevents the agglomeration issue typically encountered with conventional synthesis routes. The result is enhanced uniformity of active material distribution and an increase in available surface area. The self-assembled, flower-like 3D architecture provides abundant electron/ion transport pathways and robust structural integrity, efficiently mitigating volume changes during cycling. Electrochemical analysis of the as-prepared 3D-MoSe2 cathode reveals a substantially enhanced specific capacity of 346.8 mA h g−1, with an exceptional retention of 118.6 mA h g−1 at a high current density of 3 A g−1, demonstrating superior performance in comparison to conventional MoSe2-based cathodes. An effective strategy for nanostructure engineering of MoSe2 is demonstrated in this work, which also contributes to the design principles of advanced cathodes for aqueous Zn-ion batteries.