SnO2 nanoparticles functionalized MoS2 nanosheets as the electrode material for supercapacitor applications

Abstract

Tin oxide (SnO<inf>2</inf>) nanoparticles undergo the volume expansion during an electrochemical cycle. This volume expansion leads to discontinuities in the form of microcracks in the electrode material. The problem of charge transportation associated with this microcracking limits the application of SnO<inf>2</inf> in the energy storage application such as supercapacitors. The present work approached to solve this problem by incorporating the MoS<inf>2</inf> nanosheets along with the SnO<inf>2</inf> nanoparticles. The SnO<inf>2</inf> nanoparticles are functionalized onto the surface of the MoS<inf>2</inf> nanosheets by the ligand exchange process. The MoS<inf>2</inf> nanosheets act as the support material for the SnO<inf>2</inf> nanoparticles. The electrode material prepared using SnO<inf>2</inf> nanoparticles and nanocomposite of SnO<inf>2</inf> functionalized MoS<inf>2</inf> nanosheets are tested by cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge-discharge measurements. The specific capacity of the MoS<inf>2</inf>-SnO<inf>2</inf> nanocomposite is calculated to be 61.6 F g-1 which is 4.4 fold higher than that of bare SnO<inf>2</inf> nanoparticles. The improvement in the electrochemical performance of SnO<inf>2</inf> is attributed to the high surface area and the charge transportation provided by the MoS<inf>2</inf> nanosheets. © 2019 IOP Publishing Ltd.