Melamine-assisted synthesis of nitrogen-doped ReS2 nanosheets/carbon composites

3D hierarchical nitrogen-doped ReS2 nanosheets/carbon composites were obtained by a solvothermal synthesis involving the reaction of Re2(CO)10 with sulfur, melamine and solvents (toluene/water). The incorporation of N atoms in the resulting ReS2/C composites was directed by the aggregation of carbonaceous matter from solvent and melamine, where the composite synthesized with toluene showed higher N content. This synthesis route, based on the selection of solvent, provides a simple approach to incorporate N atoms in a poorly crystalline structure for developing new functional ReS2 materials.