Formation of 1D hierarchical structures composed of Ni₃S ₂ nanosheets on CNTs backbone for supercapacitors and photocatalytic H₂ production

One-dimensional (1D) hierarchical structures composed of Ni ₃S₂ nanosheets grown on carbon nanotube (CNT) backbone (denoted as CNT@Ni₃S₂) are fabricated by a rational multi-step transformation route. The first step involves coating the CNT backbone with a layer of silica to form CNT@ SiO₂, which serves as the substrate for the growth of nickel silicate (NiSilicate) nanosheets in the second step to form CNT@SiO₂@NiSilicate core-double shell 1D structures. Finally the as-formed CNT@SiO₂@NiSilicate 1D structures are converted into CNT-supported Ni₃S₂ nanosheets via hydrothermal treatment in the presence of Na₂ S. Simultaneously the intermediate silica layer is eliminated during the hydrothermal treatment, leading to the formation of CNT@Ni₃S₂ nanostructures. Because of the unique hybrid nano-architecture, the as-prepared 1D hierarchical structure is shown to exhibit excellent performance in both supercapacitors and photocatalytic H₂ production.