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

MoSe 2 /carbon nanotubes (CNTs) composite was synthesized by a hydrothermal method and followed by annealing in Ar gas using Na 2 MoO 4 ·2H 2 O, CN 2 H 4 Se, and NH 2 OH·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 MoSe 2 /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 MoSe 2 /CNT electrode exhibits higher capacity, better cycling stability compared with the bare MoSe 2 . The MoSe 2 and MoSe 2 /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 MoSe 2 /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 MoSe 2 material and further applications in lithium/sodium storage.