MoS₂ nanoflower decorated bio-derived chitosan nanocomposites for sustainable energy storage: Structural, optical and...

Bio-derived chitosan-molybdenum di sulfide (Cs-MoS₂) nanocomposites are prepared by a simple and economical aqueous casting method with varying concentrations of MoS₂. The structural, surface morphological, optical, and electrochemical properties of the nanocomposites were studied. FTIR analysis reveals the strong interaction between Cs and MoS₂. FESEM micrograph showed an increment of the surface roughness due to the incorporation of MoS₂ layers into Cs. The surface wettability of the nanocomposites was found to be decreased from 73° to 33° due to the incorporation of MoS₂ into the chitosan. UV-vis spectroscopy study demonstrates a reduction of optical bandgap from 4.29 to 3.44 eV as the nanofiller, MoS_2, introduces localized states within the forbidden energy bandgap. The incorporation of MoS₂ was found to increase the specific capacitance of Cs from 421 mFg^-1 to 1589 mFg^-1 at a current density of 100 μAg^-1. The EIS analysis revealed an increase in the pseudo-capacitance from 0.09 μF to 4.13 μF and a reduction of charge transfer resistance that comes from the nanofiller contribution. MoS₂ nanoflower introduces more active sites and expands the electroactive zone, thus improving the charge storage property of Cs. The Cs-MoS₂ may offer a new route for the synthesis of eco-friendly, biodegradable, and electrical storage devices.