Nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide/MoS2 ‘nanoflower’ composites for high-performance supercapacitors

Mixed-phase (MP) metal disulfides have interesting electrochemical properties which originate from the generation of the abundance of electrochemically active sites and a higher structural stability as compared with crystalline materials. However, there is less exploration in the design and performance of the MP materials for supercapacitors application. Herein, nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide (N-rGO) with MP molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) nanoflower (NGM) nanocomposite was self-assembled in a one-pot hydrothermal synthesis. The NGM nanocomposites featured a high surface area and electrical conductivity governed by the uniform growth of nanoflowers on the conductive N-rGO sheets. Coupled with an interconnected network of charge transport channels, the robust ion transport and lowered charge transfer resistance at the electrode-electrolyte interphase significantly boost the electrochemical activity enabling the electrodes to deliver a high specific capacitance (539.5 F g−1), exceptional energy and power densities (Pmax = 25.4 kW kg−1, and Emax = 71.5 Wh kg−1) and excellent capacitance retention of 95.3 % during long-term cycling.