In situ self-assembly of molybdenum disulfide/Mg–Al layered double hydroxide composite for enhanced photocatalytic activity

Abstract

In this work, in situ growth of thin layer and highly catalytic activity molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) was successfully synthesized by spatial confinement effect of Mg–Al layered double hydroxide (Simplified as LDH below). Due to the unique spatial confinement effect and electropositivity of the LDH layer, MoS2 will controllable in situ grows along the surface of LDH layer, the MoS2 synthesized in LDH tends to monolayer or thin layer instead of growing into a flower-like structure, this new strategy is different from vapor deposition, exfoliation and laser irradiation to prepare thin layer MoS2. Meanwhile, the conglomerate structure of LDH is opened and converted to thin layer by the growth of MoS2, too. The rich defects carried by thin layer LDH also help to improve the catalytic ability of MoS2. MoS2/LDH can absorb the light from ultraviolet to visible light region, The prepared MoS2/LDH composite was used as a photocatalytic material, and was found to be the best photocatalyst degrading about 96% of the MB solution (20 mg/L) after 180 min.