Surface Reconstruction on Metal Nitride during Photo-oxidation.

The efficient conversion and storage of solar energy for chemical fuel production presents a challenge in sustainable energy technologies. Metal nitrides (MNs) possess unique structures that make them multi-functional catalysts for water splitting. However, the thermodynamic instability of MNs often results in the formation of surface oxide layers and ambiguous reaction mechanisms. Herein, we present on the photo-induced reconstruction of a Mo-rich@Co-rich bi-layer on ternary cobalt-molybdenum nitride (Co3 Mo3 N) surfaces, resulting in improved effectiveness for solar water splitting. During a photo-oxidation process, the uniform initial surface oxide layer is reconstructed into an amorphous Co-rich oxide surface layer and a subsurface Mo-N layer. The Co-rich outer layer provides active sites for photocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction (POER), while the Mo-rich sublayer promotes charge transfer and enhances the oxidation resistance of Co3 Mo3 N. Additionally, the surface reconstruction yields a shortened Co-Mo bond length, weakening the adsorption of hydrogen and resulting in improved performance for both photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (PHER) and POER. This work provides insight into the surface structure-to-activity relationships of MNs in solar energy conversion, and is expected to have significant implications for the design of metal nitride-based catalysts in sustainable energy technologies.

Directional Charge Pumping from Photoactive P-doped CdS to Catalytic Active Ni2 P via Funneled Bandgap and Bridged Interface for Greatly Enhanced Photocatalytic H2 Evolution.

Loading cocatalysts onto semiconductors is one of the most popular strategies to inhibit charge recombination, but the efficiency is generally hindered by the localized built-in electric field and the weakly connected interface. Here, this work designs and synthesizes a 1D P-doped CdS nanowire/Ni2 P heterojunction with gradient doped P to address the challenges. In the composite, the gradient P doping not only creates a funneled bandgap structure with a built-in electric field oriented from the bulk of P-CdS to the surface, but also facilitates the formation of a tightly connected interface using the co-shared P element. Consequently, the photogenerated charge carriers are enabled to be pumped from inside to surface of the P-CdS and then smoothly across the interface to the Ni2 P. The as-obtained P-CdS/Ni2 P displays high visible-light-driven H2 evolution rate of ≈8265 µmol g-1 h-1 , which is 336 times and 120 times as that of CdS and P-CdS, respectively. This work is anticipated to inspire more research attention for designing new gradient-doped semiconductor/cocatalyst heterojunction photocatalysts with bridged interface for efficient solar energy conversion.

Twin boundary defect engineering in Au cocatalyst to promote alcohol splitting for coproduction of H2 and fine chemicals.

The microstructure of Au metal cocatalyst has been shown to significantly influence its optical and electronic properties. However, the impact of Au defect engineering on photocatalytic activity remains underexplored. In this study, we synthesize different Au-TiO2 composites by in-situ hybridizing face-centered cubic (F-Au) and twin boundary defect Au (T-Au) nanoparticles (NPs) onto the surface of TiO2. We find that T-Au NPs with twin defects serve as highly efficient cocatalysts for converting alcohols into their corresponding aldehydes while also generating H2. The optimized T-Au/TiO2 composite yields an H2 evolution rate of 6850 µmol h-1 g-1 and a BAD formation rate of 6830 µmol h-1 g-1, about 38 times higher than that of blank TiO2. Compared to F-Au/TiO2, the T-Au/TiO2 composite enhances charge separation, extends the lifetime of electrons, and provides more active sites for H2 reduction. The twin defect also improves alcohol reactant adsorption, boosting overall photocatalytic performance. This research paves the way for more studies on defect engineering in metal cocatalysts for enhanced catalytic activities in organic synthesis and H2 evolution.

Exceptional piezocatalytic H2 production of nitrogen-doped TiO2@carbon nanosheets induced by engineered piezoelectricity.

Piezocatalytic hydrogen evolution is a promising strategy to generate sustainable energy. In this report, nitrogen-doped (N-doped) TiO2@ carbon nanosheets (N-TiO2@C NSs) was successfully synthesized using C3N4 as a multifunctional template. During the synthesis, the two-dimensional (2D) architecture of C3N4 nanosheets directed the synthesis of TiO2 nanosheets. In addition, nitrogens of C3N4 were doped into the TiO2 lattice. Simultaneously, C3N4 was transformed into N-doped carbon nanosheets. N doping broke the crystal symmetry of TiO2, which endowed TiO2 with promising piezoelectric properties. The N-doped carbon nanosheets derived from C3N4 improved charge carrier separation efficiency and served as a flexible support to inhibit structural damage under sonication. Therefore, the N-TiO2@C NSs exhibited highly efficient activity for piezocatalytic H2 production (6.4 mmol·g-1·h-1) in the presence of methanol, much higher than those of the previously reported piezocatalysts. Our method is hoped to provide a new strategy for designing highly efficient piezocatalysts.

Photocatalytic Conversion of Diluted CO2 into Tunable Syngas via Modulating Transition Metal Hydroxides.

The conversion of diluted CO2 into tunable syngas via photocatalysis is critical for implementing CO2 reduction practically, although the efficiency remains low. Herein, we report the use of graphene-modified transition metal hydroxides, namely, NiXCo1-X-GR, for the conversion of diluted CO2 into syngas with adjustable CO/H2 ratios, utilizing Ru dyes as photosensitizers. The Ni(OH)2-GR cocatalyst can generate 12526 µmol g-1 h-1 of CO and 844 µmol g-1 h-1 of H2, while the Co(OH)2-GR sample presents a generation rate of 2953 µmol g-1 h-1 for CO and 10027 µmol g-1 h-1 for H2. Notably, by simply altering the addition amounts of nickel and cobalt in the transition metal composite, the CO/H2 ratios in syngas can be easily regulated from 18:1 to 1:4. Experimental characterization of composites and DFT calculations suggest that the differing adsorption affinities of CO2 and H2O over Ni(OH)2-GR and Co(OH)2-GR play a significant role in determining the selectivity of CO and H2 products, ultimately affecting the CO/H2 ratios in syngas. Overall, these findings demonstrate the potential of graphene-modified transition metal hydroxides as efficient photocatalysts for CO2 reduction and syngas production.

Facile synthesis of hierarchical CdS nanoflowers for efficient piezocatalytic hydrogen evolution.

Piezocatalytic hydrogen evolution has emerged as a promising field for the collection and utilization of mechanical energy, as well as for generating sustainable energy throughout the day. Hexagonal CdS, an established semiconductor photocatalyst, has been widely investigated for its ability to split water into H2. However, its piezocatalytic performance has received less attention, and the relationship between its structure and piezocatalytic activity remains unclear. In this study, we prepared 3D ultrathin CdS nanoflowers with high voltage electrical response and low impedance. In pure water, without the use of any cocatalyst, CdS exhibited a piezoelectric catalytic hydrogen production rate of 1.46 mmol h-1 g-1, which was three times higher than that of CdS nanospheres (0.46 mmol h-1 g-1). Furthermore, the value-added oxidation product H2O2 was produced during the process of piezoelectric catalysis. These findings provide new insights for the design of high-efficiency piezoelectric catalytic hydrogen production.

High-efficiency visible-light-driven oxidation of primary C-H bonds in toluene over a CsPbBr3 perovskite supported by hierarchical TiO2 nanoflakes.

Photocatalytic oxidation of toluene to valuable fine chemicals is of great significance, yet faces challenges in the development of advanced catalysts with both high activity and selectivity for the activation of inert C(sp3)-H bonds. Halide perovskites with remarkable optoelectronic properties have shown to be prospective photoactive materials, but the bulky structure with a small surface area and severe recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs are obstacles to application. Here, we fabricate a hierarchical nanoflower-shaped CsPbBr3/TiO2 heterojunction by assembling CsPbBr3 nanoparticles on 2D TiO2 nanoflake subunits. The design significantly downsizes the size of CsPbBr3 from micrometers to nanometers, and forms a type II heterojunction with intimate interfacial contact between CsPbBr3 and TiO2 nanoflakes, thereby accelerating the separation and transfer of photogenerated charges. Moreover, the formed hierarchical heterojunction increaseslight absorption by refraction and scattering, offers a large surface area and enhances the adsorption of toluene molecules. Consequently, the optimized CsPbBr3/TiO2 exhibits a high performance (10 200 µmol g-1 h-1) for photocatalytic toluene oxidation with high selectivity (85%) for benzaldehyde generation under visible light. The photoactivity is about 20 times higher than that of blank CsPbBr3, and is among the best photocatalytic performances reported for selective oxidation of toluene under visible light irradiation.

Visible-Light-Driven Photocatalytic Dehydrogenation of Alcohols on TiO2 via Ligand-to-Metal Charge Transfer for Coproduction of H2 and Aldehydes.

Developing visible-light-driven photocatalysts for the catalytic dehydrogenation of organics is of great significance for sustainable solar energy utilization. Here, we first report that aromatic alcohols could be efficiently split into H2 and aldehydes over TiO2 under visible-light irradiation through a ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) mechanism. A series of TiO2 catalysts with different surface contents of the hydroxyl group (-OH) have been synthesized by controlling the hydrothermal and calcination synthesis methods. An optimal H2 production rate of 18.6 µmol h-1 is obtained on TiO2 synthesized from the hydrothermal method with a high content of surface -OH. Experimental characterizations and comparison studies reveal that the surface -OH markedly influences the formation of LMCT complexes and thus changes the visible-light-driven photocatalytic performance. This work is anticipated to inspire further research endeavors in the design and fabrication of visible-light-driven photocatalyst systems based on the LMCT mechanism to realize the simultaneous synthesis of clean fuel and fine chemicals.

2D MXenes polar catalysts for multi-renewable energy harvesting applications.

The synchronous harvesting and conversion of multiple renewable energy sources for chemical fuel production and environmental remediation in a single system is a holy grail in sustainable energy technologies. However, it is challenging to develop advanced energy harvesters that satisfy different working mechanisms. Here, we theoretically and experimentally disclose the use of MXene materials as versatile catalysts for multi-energy utilization. Ti3C2TX MXene shows remarkable catalytic performance for organic pollutant decomposition and H2 production. It outperforms most reported catalysts under the stimulation of light, thermal, and mechanical energy. Moreover, the synergistic effects of piezo-thermal and piezo-photothermal catalysis further improve the performance when using Ti3C2TX. A mechanistic study reveals that hydroxyl and superoxide radicals are produced on the Ti3C2TX under diverse energy stimulation. Furthermore, similar multi-functionality is realized in Ti2CTX, V2CTX, and Nb2CTX MXene materials. This work is anticipated to open a new avenue for multisource renewable energy harvesting using MXene materials.

Crystal phase engineering of Ru for simultaneous selective photocatalytic oxidations and H2 production.

Noble metal nanoparticles are often used as cocatalysts to enhance the photocatalytic efficiency. While the effect of cocatalyst nanoparticle size and shape has widely been explored, the effect of the crystal phase is largely overlooked. In this work, we investigate the effect of Ru nanoparticle crystal phase, specifically regular hexagonal close-packed (hcp) and allotropic face-centered cubic (fcc) crystal phases, as cocatalyst decorated onto the surface of TiO2 photocatalysts. As reference photocatalytic reaction the simultaneous photocatalytic production of benzaldehyde (BAD) and H2 from benzyl alcohol was chosen. Both the fcc Ru/TiO2 and hcp Ru/TiO2 composites exhibit enhanced BAD and H2 production rates compared to pristine TiO2 due to the formation of a Schottky barrier promoting the photogenerated charge separation. Moreover, a 1.9-fold photoactivity enhancement of the fcc Ru/TiO2 composite is achieved as compared to the hcp Ru/TiO2 composite, which is attributed to the fact that the fcc Ru NPs are more efficient in facilitating the charge transfer as compared to hcp Ru NPs, thus inhibiting the recombination of electron-hole pairs and enhancing the overall photoactivity.

Photocatalytic Anaerobic Dehydrogenation of Alcohols over Metal Halide Perovskites: A New Acid-Free Scheme for H2 Production.

Photocatalytic H2 evolution from haloid acid (HX) solution by metal halide perovskites (MHPs) has been intensively investigated; however, the corrosive acid solution severely restricts its practical operability. Therefore, developing acid-free schemes for H2 evolution using MHPs is highly desired. Here, we investigate the photocatalytic anaerobic dehydrogenation of alcohols over a series of MHPs (APbX3, A = Cs+, CH3NH3+ (MA), CH(NH2)2+ (FA); X = Cl-, Br-, I-) to simultaneously produce H2 and aldehydes. Via the coassembly of Pt and rGO nanosheets on MAPbBr3 microcrystals, the optimal MAPbBr3/rGO-Pt reaches a H2 evolution rate of 3150 µmol g-1 h-1 under visible light irradiation (780 nm ≥ λ ≥ 400 nm), which is more than 105-fold higher than pure MAPbBr3 (30 µmol g-1 h-1). The present work not only brings new ample opportunities toward photocatalytic H2 evolution but also opens up new avenues for more effective utilization of MHPs in photocatalysis.

Ultrathin Two-Dimensional ZnIn2S4/Nix-B Heterostructure for High-Performance Photocatalytic Fine Chemical Synthesis and H2 Generation.

Photocatalytic H2 evolution coupled with organic transformation provides a new avenue to cooperatively produce clean fuels and fine chemicals, enabling a more efficient conversion of solar energy. Here, a novel two-dimensional (2D) heterostructure of ultrathin ZnIn2S4 nanosheets decorated with amorphous nickel boride (Nix-B) is prepared for simultaneous photocatalytic anaerobic H2 generation and aromatic aldehydes production. This ZnIn2S4/Nix-B catalyst elaborately combines the ultrathin structure advantage of the ZnIn2S4 semiconductor and the cocatalytic function of Nix-B. A high H2 production rate of 8.9 mmol h-1 g-1 is delivered over the optimal ZnIn2S4/Nix-B with a stoichiometric production of benzaldehyde, which is about 22 times higher than ZnIn2S4. Especially, the H2 evolution rate is much higher than the value (2.8 mmol h-1 g-1) of the traditional photocatalytic half reaction of H2 production with triethanolamine as a sacrificial agent. The apparent quantum yield reaches 24% at 420 nm, representing an advanced photocatalyst system. Moreover, compared with traditional sulfide, hydroxide, and even noble metal modified ZnIn2S4/M counterparts (M = NiS, Ni(OH)2, Pt), the ZnIn2S4/Nix-B also maintains markedly higher photocatalytic activity, showing a highly efficient and economical advantage of the Nix-B cocatalyst. This work sheds light on the exploration of 2D ultrathin semiconductors decorated with novel transition metal boride cocatalyst for efficient photocatalytic organic transformation integrated with solar fuel production.

Photocatalytic Anaerobic Oxidation of Aromatic Alcohols Coupled With H2 Production Over CsPbBr3/GO-Pt Catalysts.

Metal halide perovskites (MHPs) have been widely investigated for various photocatalytic applications. However, the dual-functional reaction system integrated selective organic oxidation with H2 production over MHPs is rarely reported. Here, we demonstrate for the first time the selective oxidation of aromatic alcohols to aldehydes integrated with hydrogen (H2) evolution over Pt-decorated CsPbBr3. Especially, the functionalization of CsPbBr3 with graphene oxide (GO) further improves the photoactivity of the perovskite catalyst. The optimal amount of CsPbBr3/GO-Pt exhibits an H2 evolution rate of 1,060 µmol g-1 h-1 along with high selectivity (>99%) for benzyl aldehyde generation (1,050 µmol g-1 h-1) under visible light (λ > 400 nm), which is about five times higher than the CsPbBr3-Pt sample. The enhanced activity has been ascribed to two effects induced by the introduction of GO: 1) GO displays a structure-directing role, decreasing the particle size of CsPbBr3 and 2) GO and Pt act as electron reservoirs, extracting the photogenerated electrons and prohibiting the recombination of the electron-hole pairs. This study opens new avenues to utilize metal halide perovskites as dual-functional photocatalysts to perform selective organic transformations and solar fuel production.

Photothermal Suzuki Coupling Over a Metal Halide Perovskite/Pd Nanocube Composite Catalyst.

The development of improved catalysts capable of performing the Suzuki coupling reaction has attracted considerable attention. Recent findings have shown that the use of photoactive catalysts improves the performance, while the reaction mechanism and temperature-dependent performance of such systems are still under debate. Herein, we report Pd nanocubes/CsPbBr3 as an efficient catalyst for the photothermal Suzuki reaction. The photo-induced and thermal contribution to the overall catalytic performance has been investigated. Light controls the activity at temperatures around and below 30 °C, while thermal catalysis determines the reactivity at higher temperatures. The Pd/CsPbBr3 catalyst exhibits 11 times higher activity than pure CsPbBr3 at 30 °C due to reduced activation barrier and facilitated charge carrier dynamics. Furthermore, the alkoxide radicals (R-O-) for the Suzuki reaction are experimentally and theoretically confirmed, and photogenerated holes are proven to be crucial for cleaving C-B bonds of phenylboronic acids to drive the reaction. This work prescribes a general strategy to study photothermal catalysis and offers a mechanistic guideline for photothermal Suzuki reactions.

Construction of Chemically Bonded Interface of Organic/Inorganic g-C3N4/LDH Heterojunction for Z-Schematic Photocatalytic H2 Generation.

The design and synthesis of a Z-schematic photocatalytic heterostructure with an intimate interface is of great significance for the migration and separation of photogenerated charge carriers, but still remains a challenge. Here, we developed an efficient Z-scheme organic/inorganic g-C3N4/LDH heterojunction by in situ growing of inorganic CoAl-LDH firmly on organic g-C3N4 nanosheet (NS). Benefiting from the two-dimensional (2D) morphology and the surface exposed pyridine-like nitrogen atoms, the g-C3N4 NS offers efficient trap sits to capture transition metal ions. As such, CoAl-LDH NS can be tightly attached onto the g-C3N4 NS, forming a strong interaction between CoAl-LDH and g-C3N4 via nitrogen-metal bonds. Moreover, the 2D/2D interface provides a high-speed channel for the interfacial charge transfer. As a result, the prepared heterojunction composite exhibits a greatly improved photocatalytic H2 evolution activity, as well as considerable stability. Under visible light irradiation of 4 h, the optimal H2 evolution rate reaches 1952.9 µmol g-1, which is 8.4 times of the bare g-C3N4 NS. The in situ construction of organic/inorganic heterojunction with a chemical-bonded interface may provide guidance for the designing of high-performance heterostructure photocatalysts.

Alkaline Co(OH)2-Decorated 2D Monolayer Titanic Acid Nanosheets for Enhanced Photocatalytic Syngas Production from CO2.

The difficulty of adsorption and activation of CO2 at the catalytic site and rapid recombination of photogenerated charge carriers severely restrict the CO2 conversion efficiency. Here, we fabricate a novel alkaline Co(OH)2-decorated ultrathin 2D titanic acid nanosheet (H2Ti6O13) catalyst, which rationally couples the structural and functional merits of ultrathin 2D supports with catalytically active Co species. Alkaline Co(OH)2 beneficially binds and activates CO2 molecules, while monolayer H2Ti6O13 acts as an electron relay that bridges a photosensitizer with Co(OH)2 catalytic sites. As such, photoexcited charges can be efficiently channeled from light absorbers to activated CO2 molecules through the ultrathin hybrid Co(OH)2/H2Ti6O13 composite, thereby producing syngas (CO/H2 mixture) from photoreduction of CO2. High evolution rates of 56.5 µmol h-1 for CO and 59.3 µmol h-1 for H2 are achieved over optimal Co(OH)2/H2Ti6O13 by visible light illumination. In addition, the CO/H2 ratio can be facilely tuned from 1:1 to 1:2.4 by changing the Co(OH)2 content, thus presenting a feasible approach to controllably synthesize different H2/CO mixtures for target applications.

Construction of TiO2-Eggshell for Efficient Degradation of Tetracycline Hydrochloride: Sunlight Induced In-Situ Formation of Carbonate Radical.

Photocatalytic degradation of an antibiotic by utilizing inexhaustible solar energy represents an ideal solution for tackling global environment issues. The target generation of active oxidative species is highly desirable for the photocatalytic pollutants degradation. Herein, aiming at the molecular structure of tetracycline hydrochloride (TC), we construct sunlight-activated high-efficient catalysts of TiO2-eggshell (TE). The composite ingeniously utilizes the photoactive function of TiO2 and the composition of eggshell, which can produce oxidative ·CO3- species that are especially active for the degradation of aromatic compounds containing phenol or aniline structures. Through the synergistic oxidation of the··CO3- with the traditional holes (h+), superoxide radicals (·O2-) and hydroxyl radicals (·OH) involved in the photocatalytic process, the optimal TE photocatalyst degrades 92.0% TC in 30 min under solar light, which is higher than TiO2 and eggshell. The photocatalytic degradation pathway of TC over TE has been proposed. The response surface methodology is processed by varying four independent parameters (TC concentration, pH, catalyst dosage and reaction time) on a Box-Behnken design (BBD) to optimize the experimental conditions. It is anticipated that the present work can facilitate the development of novel photocatalysts for selective oxidation based on ·CO3-.

Facet Engineering of Pd Nanocrystals for Enhancing Photocatalytic Hydrogenation: Modulation of the Schottky Barrier Height and Enrichment of Surface Reactants.

Metal cocatalyst loading is one of the most widely explored strategies in promoting photocatalytic solar energy conversion. Engineering surface-active facets of metal cocatalyst and exploring how they modulate the reactivity is crucial for the further development of advanced photocatalysts. In this work, through controlled hybridization of two-dimensional (2D) TiO2 nanosheets with well-designed Pd nanocube (Pd NC) with exposed {100} facet and Pd nano-octahedron (NO) with exposed {111} facet, we unravel the distinct crystal facet effect of Pd cocatalyst in promoting the selective hydrogenation of nitroarenes to amines of TiO2 photocatalyst. The activity tests show that the Pd NO with {111} facet is a more efficient cocatalyst than the Pd NC with exposed {100} facet. The prepared TiO2-Pd NO composite displays a 900% enhancement of photocatalytic hydrogenation rate in comparison with bare TiO2, while the TiO2-Pd NC sample only shows a 200% photoactivity enhancement. Microscopic mechanism study discloses that the distinctive photoactivity improvement of Pd NO is ascribed to the concurrent modulation of the Schottky barrier height and enrichment of surface reactants: (i) the Pd NO with a lower Fermi level could result in steeper band bending of TiO2 (i.e., higher Schottky barrier) than the Pd NC, which is more efficient in boosting interfacial separation and inhibiting the recombination of photoexcited charge pairs; and (ii) the {111} facet of Pd has higher nitroarenes adsorption ability and especially stronger hydrogen enrichment capability, thus accelerating the surface hydrogenation process and contributing to a higher reaction rate. This work emphasizes the rational facet control of cocatalysts for enhancing the photocatalytic hydrogenation performance.

Highly stable Pd/HNb3O8-based flexible humidity sensor for perdurable wireless wearable applications.

Real-time, daily health monitoring can provide large amounts of patient data, which may greatly improve the likelihood of diagnosing health conditions at an early stage. One potential sensor is a flexible humidity sensor to monitor moisture and humidity information such as dehydration. However, achieving a durable functional nanomaterial-based flexible humidity sensor remains a challenge due to partial desorption of water molecules during the recovery process, especially at high humidities. In this work, we demonstrate a highly stable resistive-type Pd/HNb3O8 humidity sensor, which exhibits a perdurable performance for over 100 h of cycle tests under a 90% relative humidity (RH) without significant performance degradation. One notable advantage of the Pd/HNb3O8 humidity sensor is its ability to regulate hydroniums due to the strong reducibility of H atoms dissociated on the Pd surface. This feature realizes a high stability even at a high humidity (99.9% RH). Using this superior performance, the Pd/HNb3O8 humidity sensor realizes wireless monitoring of the changes in the fingertip humidity of an adult under different physiological states, demonstrating a facile and reliable path for dehydration diagnosis.

In situ fabrication of ultrathin few-layered WSe2 anchored on N, P dual-doped carbon by bioreactor for half/full sodium/potassium-ion batteries with ultralong cycling lifespan.

Sodium/potassium-ion batteries (SIBs/PIBs) with high electrochemical performance are promising but there still remain daunting challenges to explore an anode material with appealing cycling stability and rate capability. In addition, the utilization of waste biomass arouses tremendous researches in energy storage applications. Herein, we elaborately coupling ultrathin few-layered WSe2 nanosheets with N, P-doped biochar by utilizing waste chlorella as adsorbent and reactor. It displays a prominent long-term cycling property (265 mAh g-1 at 1 A g-1 up to 1500 cycles) in SIBs, which is the best long-cycle performance ever reported for WSe2. Paired with Na3V2(PO4)3 cathode, full SIBs also exhibit superior capacity of 210 mAh g-1 at 0.5 A g-1 for 120 cycles. Notably, we also report WSe2-based anode material in PIBs, which delivers a high capacity of 333 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1 for 100 cycles and superior cycling lifespan (155 mAh g-1 at 1 A g-1 up to 5300 cycles) as well as excellent rate properties. Additionally, the mechanism of the repeated process of sodiation/desodiation is revealed, by the deep characterization, such as ex-situ XRD/Raman, galvanostatic intermittent titration technique and CV measurements.