MoS₂/MoO_x-Nanostructure-Decorated Activated Carbon Cloth for Enhanced Supercapacitor Performance

MoS₂/MoO_x nanostructures were grown on activated carbon cloth through a facile one-step microwave-assisted hydrothermal method. The growth of MoS₂/MoO_x on activated carbon cloth creates a unique structure that favors ion intercalation. The conductive activated carbon cloth, MoO_3−x, and monoclinic MoO₂ provide fast electron transport, whereas the MoS₂ nanosheets/MoO_3−x nanoparticles structure improves the capacitance. As a result, MoS₂/MoO_x-nanostructure-decorated activated carbon cloth shows a high specific capacitance of 230 F g⁻¹ at a scan rate of 5 mV s⁻¹ with a low contact resistance of approximately 1.91 Ω. Moreover, the activated carbon cloth acts as a template for the growth of a perpendicular MoS₂ layer, which gives an excellent utilization rate of the active MoS₂/MoO_x material. We also demonstrate that the MoS₂/MoO_x/activated carbon cloth nanocomposite shows excellent electrochemical stability with retention up to 128 % after 1500 cycles. Finally, we show the use of a microwave-assisted hydrothermal method for the synthesis of the MoS₂/MoO_x/activated carbon cloth nanocomposite as an alternative and clean route to improve the kinetics of the intercalation redox reaction.