In this work, MoSe₂-WS₂ nanocomposites consisting of WS₂ nanoparticles covered with few MoSe₂ nanosheets were successfully developed via an easy hydrothermal synthesis method. Their nanostructure and photocatalytic hydrogen evolution (PHE) performance are investigated by a series of characterization techniques. The PHE rate of MoSe₂-WS₂ is evaluated under the white light LED irradiation. Under LED illumination, the highest PHE of MoSe₂-WS₂ nanocomposite is 1600.2 µmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹. When compared with pristine WS₂, the MoSe₂-WS₂ nanostructures demonstrated improved PHE rate, which is 10-fold higher than that of the pristine one. This work suggests that MoSe₂-WS₂ could be a promising photocatalyst candidate and might stimulate the further studies of other layered materials for energy conversion and storage.

Supercapacitors have garnered substantial interest owing to their capacity to deliver power effectively for short-term applications. However, current supercapacitors suffer from limited stability and low-capacity storage. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as a promising solution due to their high surface area and abundant active redox sites. MOF-based electrodes combined with aqueous based electrolytes have shown potential to enhance supercapacitor performance. While there is limited literature on MIL-101(Fe) MOF-based electrodes, a comparative study was conducted to investigate the supercapacitor performance of MIL-101(Fe) electrodes synthesized using hydrothermal and microwave-assisted processes. Processing parameters, such as the method used, alter the microstructure, morphology, and uniformity of supramolecular chemistry, impacting electrochemical characteristics. This study aimed to determine the active redox reactions, chemical stability, surface area, adsorption characteristics, and electrochemical characteristics of the electrodes. The electrodes from hydrothermal synthesis [MF(ht)] exhibited excellent electrochemical activity in comparison to the microwave-assisted [MF(m)] electrodes in the three-electrode configuration. At a high current density of 7 A/g, the MF(ht) electrode displayed a remarkable specific capacitance of 775.6 F/g and a good cyclic stability (82% @ 10 A/g) after 5000 galvanostatic charge–discharge cycles. At a current density of 1 A/g, the two-electrode configuration of MF(ht) yielded a high energy density of 74.7 Wh/kg at a power density of 2160 W/kg and a decent cyclic stability after 5000 cycles. The results suggest that the MF(ht) electrodes possess remarkable electrochemical properties that make them a promising candidate for advanced applications in energy storage.

It is apparent that well-designed functionally graded materials (FGMs) exhibit smooth transition in properties. In this paper, polymer based functionally graded composite materials (FGCMs) were developed in combination with copper (Cu) particles and epoxy. A novel stepped layer configuration through a curing-phase approach at each layer in three different curing conditions (C1, C2, C3) have been processed. A significant enhancement in mechanical strength and erosion resistance was observed at higher curing temperatures (60°C) for sample C3. The results indicated tensile and compressive strengths of C3 enhanced by 40.20%, 17.48% and 20.18%, 9.74% compared to C1 and C2, respectively. Furthermore, when the FGM is loaded from top to bottom (T-B), there is an enhancement in flexural strength of C3 by 7.88% when compared to bottom to top (B-T) loading. In addition, the erosion wear of C3 was found to be lowest of all the samples.