Free-standing Ag nanoparticle-decorated MoS2 microflowers grown on carbon cloth for photocatalytic oxidation of Rhodamine B

Abstract

MoS2 microflowers were grown on the surface of a carbon cloth (CC) via a one-step hydrothermal method. Sodium borohydride was used to chemically reduce Ag nanoparticles on the surface of the as-grown MoS2 microflowers. The Ag nanoparticle-decorated MoS2 microflowers grown on the CC (Ag@MoS2/CC) were used for the photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B (RB) via visible light absorption. The Ag nanoparticles significantly affected the reactivity of the photocatalyst by generating a large number of oxidative radical species. The catalytic reaction followed first-order kinetics and the rate of degradation improved by about 3.3 times upon the deposition of Ag nanoparticles on the surface. Scavenger experiments showed that the hydroxyl radicals generated by the photogenerated electrons were the main contributing species in the degradation of RB. The catalytic mechanism involved efficient electron transfer from the conduction band of MoS2 to Ag through a space charge region, making the surface of the photocatalyst highly electron populated. The fabricated catalyst was highly stable for multiple experiments.