Applicability of the MoS₂–aSiC Heterostructure for Durable Supercapacitance and NO₂ Gas Sensing in a Harsh Environment

Abstract

In the present work, the heterostructure of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) with amorphous silicon carbide (aSiC) on stainless steel (SS) and Si substrates was fabricated by using a DC magnetron sputtering system. This unique heterostructure was examined for energy storage and NO2 gas-sensing applications suitable for harsh environmental conditions. The two-dimensional (2D) MoS2 nanostructured with dissolution resistive aSiC supercapacitor electrode delivers 1.5-fold enhancement in the gravimetric capacitance, a voltage window enlargement from 0.8 to 1.8 V, and an excellent stability of more than 4000 charge–discharge cycles. Further, the high-concentration NO2 gas-sensing performance of the MoS2–aSiC heterostructure on the Si substrate revealed a stable and recoverable response at high operating temperatures. Therefore, loading aSiC with 2D MoS2 enables a durable electrode material for energy storage and NO2 gas-sensing applications in adverse conditions. The as-fabricated heterostructure was systematically studied by various material and electrochemical characterizations.