In-situ construction of hierarchical 2D MoS2/1D Te hybrid for supercapacitor applications

MoS2 has attracted the attention of researchers as a potential electrode material for supercapacitors due to its several advantages, including high specific capacitance and wide potential range. On the other hand, its low intrinsic conductivity and aggregation continue to impair its capacitive performance. Herein, we demonstrate a facile hydrothermal technique for the in-situ growth of metallic MoS2 nanosheets over tellurium nanorods for supercapacitor applications. The MoS2@Tellurium 2D/1D heterostructure exhibits enhanced electrochemical performance due to the increased interlayer spacing and exposed electroactive edges of MoS2. Furthermore, MoS2@Te heterostructure demonstrates a high capacitance of 439 F/g at 1 A/g due to the synergistic interaction between MoS2 and Te nanorod. An asymmetric supercapacitor fabricated with MoS2@Te as the negative electrode and VSe2/rGO/CNT as the positive electrode delivered an outstanding cyclic stability with a maximum energy/power density of 35.68 Wh/kg/6725 W/kg. Density Functional Theory (DFT) simulation data on the structure and electronic properties of MoS2 and MoS2@Te heterostructures supported the experimental findings. The increased quantum capacitance of the MoS2@Te heterostructure over pristine MoS2 backs up the experimental results.