Few-layered ReS₂ nanosheets vertically aligned on reduced graphene oxide for superior lithium and sodium storage

We have exploited an efficient electrostatic attraction strategy to fabricate hybrid 2D-2D heterostructures consisting of few-layered ReS₂ nanosheets chemically anchored on both sides of reduced graphene oxide in vertical orientation (v-ReS₂/rGO) via a one-pot hydrothermal approach. The additive hydroxylamine hydrochloride plays a critical role in reversing the negatively charged pristine rGO to positively charged rGO, which favors the electrostatic attraction of ReO₄ ^- and facilitates the subsequent growth of the few-layered ReS₂ nanosheets perpendicular to the rGO substrates, where ReS₂ nanosheets present a thickness of ∼3.7 nm and a height of ∼50 nm relative to the rGO scaffold. Due to the synergistic effects of the elegant 2D-2D nano-hierarchy created on graphene, the resulting v-ReS₂/rGO nanocomposite exhibits reversible lithium and sodium storage with excellent specific capacity and rate capability at low potentials, making such 2D-2D materials promising candidates as anode hosts in alkali ion batteries.