Facile Fabrication of Flower-Like C@α-Mo2C Hybrids with Enhanced Energy Storage Properties

Abstract

A unique flower-like nanocomposite composed of molybdenum carbide (α-Mo2C) nanodots embedded in carbon nanosheets has been successfully constructed by calcining an organic-inorganic hybrid (C@α-Mo2C), flower-like nanocomposite based on a reaction between MoOx and dopamine. This novel hierarchical structure offers sufficient contact area with the electrolyte, short diffusion pathways for lithium (sodium) ions and electrons (2-dimensional (2-D) nanosheets and 0-dimensional (0-D) α-Mo2C nanodots), and a carbon matrix for good conductivity and structural stability. Benefiting from these structural merits, the C@α-Mo2C hybrid shows excellent electrochemical performance in both LIBs and SIBs. Moreover, it provides an effective strategy to construct hierarchical structures for molybdenum-based electrode materials with improved electrochemical performance in energy storage devices.