Synthesis of Ag/hybridized 1T-2H MoS2/TiO2 heterostructure for enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity

Abstract

In this study, a novel and efficient Ag/hybridized 1T-2H MoS2/TiO2 mesoporous beads photocatalyst has been fabricated through a facile method. TiO2 mesoporous beads were synthesized through sol-gel process, followed by microwave-assisted hydrothermal method. Hybridized 1T-2H MoS2 were synthesized through conventional hydrothermal method. Ag/hybridized 1T-2H MoS2/TiO2 mesoporous bead photocatalysts were fabricated by mixing AgNO3 with 1T-2H MoS2/TiO2, followed by chemical reduction of AgNO3. We demonstrated that the addition of MoS2 to TiO2 mesoporous beads photocatalyst enhances the visible light absorption and effectively reduces the electron-hole recombination. The photocatalysis was further improved through the surface plasmon resonance from the addition of Ag nanoparticles. As a result, an excellent photodegradation efficiency of 96.8% has been achieved within 60 minutes. Noteworthy, the photodegradation rate constant of Ag/hybridized 1T-2H MoS2/TiO2 is 12 times higher than the TiO2 mesoporous beads. Therefore, the design of Ag/hybridized 1T-2H MoS2/TiO2 nanocomposites gives a promising photocatalyst material for environmental remediation.