Multifunctional flower-like WS2 hybrids with carbon nanotube veins and WS2 petals: Its sodium ion storage and hydrogen evolution properties

Abstract

Abstract A hierarchical flower-like hybrid with tungsten disulfide (WS2) nano-sheet petals and multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) veins is prepared via a facile solvothermal method. High concentration functional groups and defects on the acid-treated MWCNTs bundles initiated the growth of WS2 nano-flowers with an average diameter of 500 nm, inducing strong interface interaction between WS2 and MWCNTs. Furthermore, the MWCNTs are adopted as viens to improve the electron transportation and as interconnected 3D network to alleviate the structural change and restacking of WS2 petals. Meanwhile, the WS2 nano-flowers with abundant edge tungsten atoms are beneficial for sodium ion storage and hydrogen evolution reaction. As a result, the hybrid exhibits excellent electrochemical performances: a specific capacity of 250 mAh g-1 at 0.5\xa0A g-1 after 45 cycles is retained as anode for sodium ion battery; an 80\xa0mV dec-1 Tafel slope and an overpotential of -\xa00.25 V (vs. RHE) are delivered with excellent stability in acidic condition.