WSe2 nanoflowers grown on Ti3C2Cl2 MXene for energy applications and sensing

Developing multifunctional materials for energy and sensing is challenging due to demands for high conductivity, catalytic activity, and structural stability. We report a WSe2/Ti3C2Cl2 hybrid synthesized via one-step solvothermal growth of WSe2 nanoflowers on Cl-terminated MXene. The strong interface improves electron transport and active site exposure, achieving excellent hydrogen evolution activity with an overpotential of −0.19 V vs RHE at −10 mA cm−2. The WSe2-rich hybrid delivers an initial discharge capacity of 1255 mAh g−1 as a lithium-ion battery anode, outperforming its individual components. MXene boosts conductivity, while WSe2 morphology buffers volume changes. For sensing, the hybrid doubles the H2O2 reduction signal of WSe2 and enables amperometric detection from 1 to 88 μM with a 0.6 μM detection limit. Overall, in situ growth of WSe2 on MXene offers a scalable route to efficient multifunctional materials.