A comprehensive characterisation of the pore structure in shale oil reservoirs is essential for forecasting oil production and exploration risks. This study forecasted these risks in the oil-rich Songliao Basin using combination of high-resolution field emission scanning electron microscopy and quantitative X-ray diffraction to analyze the pore genesis and evolution mode within the first member of the Cretaceous Qingshankou Formation (K₂qn₁). The results showed the dominance of inorganic pores over organic pores, wherein diagenetic processes, such as compaction, pressure solution, and cementation, were responsible for the destruction of pore structure in the formation. Notably, the pores formed by dissolution and shrinkage cracks resulting from clay mineral transformation improved the oil storage space. Furthermore, according to the geochemical data and clay composition, the K₂qn₁ shale is in the middle diagenetic stage A, which can be further subdivided into A1 and A2 stages from top to bottom. The porosity slowly decreased in both sub-stages A1 and A2, wherein the decrease was stable in the latter. The diagenetic observations in this study are significant for the exploration of unconventional shale oil in petroliferous basins worldwide.

A novel reactant conversion–intercalation strategy is proposed to synthesize interlayer-expanded MoS₂ with superior supercapacitor performance, which avoids the complicated control associated with foreign species in conventional synthesis strategies.

It is found that Mo doping can enhance the supercapacitor performance of VS₂ microflowers. The X-ray diffraction combined with energy dispersive X-ray, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Raman spectra results verify the successful doping of Mo atoms into the VS₂ matrix. As the electrode material of supercapacitors, the Mo-doped VS₂ performs better electrochemical performance than pristine VS₂, achieving the specific capacitance of 170 F g⁻¹ at 0.5 A g⁻¹ and 389.5 F g⁻¹ at 5 mV s⁻¹. Furthermore, the symmetric supercapacitor based on the Mo-doped VS₂ exhibits good stability and ideal rate capability. The enhanced capability is presumably ascribed to the more accessible active sites and faster electrons/ions diffusion kinetics, which are caused by the increased specific surface area, expanded interlayer spacing, and improved conductivity after Mo doping. This strategy can also be extended to strengthen the capacitive properties of other transition metal dichalcogenides for advanced energy storage devices.