MoS2 TiO2 Research Articles

Enhanced solar-driven photocatalytic hydrogen production, dye degradation, and supercapacitor functionality using MoS2–TiO2 nanocomposite

In our current study, we've devised a promising method to overcome the limitations of nanostructured titanium dioxide (TiO2) with molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) nanoflowers synthesized through a cost-effective and straightforward solvothermal process. The resulting heterostructures function as highly efficient photocatalysts and supercapacitors. The synthesized MoS2–TiO2 nanocomposite demonstrated exceptional performance in various applications, including efficient hydrogen (H2) evolution, dye degradation, and enhanced supercapacitor performance. The combination of MoS2, a two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenide, and TiO2, a wide-bandgap metal oxide semiconductor, addresses critical challenges in clean energy, environmental remediation, and energy storage. Photocatalytic studies revealed that the MoS2–TiO2 catalysts exhibited the highest activity for hydrogen production, with a rate of 137.93 μmol h−1 g−1, which is three times greater than that of pure MoS2. Additionally, the MoS2–TiO2 nanocomposite demonstrated superior electrochemical performance, with a specific capacitance of 638 F/g. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) showed that the charge transfer kinetics were comparable, highlighting the positive impact of TiO2 without significantly increasing resistance. The MoS2–TiO2 nanocomposite emerges as a transformative material with multifaceted applications, showcasing its versatility in addressing global challenges related to clean energy and environmental sustainability.

On the performance of vertical MoS2 nanoflakes as a photoelectrochemical studies for energy application

With the help of a hydrothermal process, we were able to prepare vertically layered MoS2 nanoflakes that were rooted to TiO2 modified. MoS2 nanoflakes and TiO2 contribute significantly to the strong XRD peaks and μ-Raman spectroscopy, and this phenomenon may also be explained by the unique structure of vertically stacked MoS2 nanoflakes on TiO2 that has many exposed edges and large surfaces as well as high electron transfer rates between TiO2 and MoS2. As can be clearly seen, there are no noticeable changes in the self-photodegradation of MB under visible light interaction (VLI), and the MoS2 doped TiO2 photocatalyst displays ∼ 90 % degradation efficiency. By, measuring photoelectrochemically, charge carriers are separated efficiently. These experiments illustrate the transient photocurrent response of the MoS2 doped TiO2 photocatalyst while cycling between three on/off cycles. As a result of a low recombination rate of the photoexcited charge carriers, the MoS2 doped TiO2 photocatalyst displays superior photocurrent response. In other words, a lower charge transfer resistance results in a faster transfer of charge between the surfaces.

Formulation of microwave assisted Z-scheme MoS2@TiO2: explored physicochemical properties and photodegradation of MO dye

We propose a novel approach to achieve high pollutant degradation efficiency through the use of a visible light harvesting, microwave-assisted Z-scheme MoS2@TiO2 (MST) photocatalyst. The development of pure MST nanomaterial is confirmed through X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis. Optical absorption in the range of 200–1100 nm is examined using UV–visible spectroscopy, and the optical band gap of MST is calculated to be 2.1 eV based on Tauc’s plot. The morphological images clearly show the accumulation of particles, indicating the formation of various nanostructures such as sheets, spheres, and rods within the MST nanomaterial. To assess the practical photocatalytic activity, the degradation of methyl orange (MO), a toxic organic dye, is conducted during the daytime using the as-prepared MST. The photocatalytic performance of MST surpasses that of P25 TiO2 under visible light. This superiority can be attributed to MST's narrow bandgap and the Z-scheme, which reduce the rate of reunion of photoinduced ions. The efficacy of MST heterojunction in degrading MO dye reaches approximately 95.5% within 35 minutes, with a pseudo-first-order rate constant (k) of 0.0365 min−1. This outstanding photocatalytic performance under sunlight is attributed to MST's large specific surface area, its nanosheet, rods, and spheres-like structures, narrow bandgap, and sufficient active sites. BET and FE-SEM investigations also support these results. Moreover, the repeatability tests consisting of six consecutive cycles demonstrate that the degradation efficiency of MST is significantly higher than that of reported MoS2@TiO2 composite photocatalysts.

Co-assembled MoS2-TiO2 Inverse Opal Photocatalysts for Visible Light-Activated Pharmaceutical Photodegradation.

Heterostructured photocatalytic materials in the form of photonic crystals have been attracting attention for their unique light harvesting ability that can be ideally combined with judicious compositional modifications toward the development of visible light-activated (VLA) photonic catalysts, though practical environmental applications, such as the degradation of pharmaceutical emerging contaminants, have been rarely reported. Herein, heterostructured MoS2-TiO2 inverse opal films are introduced as highly active immobilized photocatalysts for the VLA degradation of tetracycline and ciprofloxacin broad-spectrum antibiotics as well as salicylic acid. A single-step co-assembly method was implemented for the challenging incorporation of MoS2 nanosheets into the nanocrystalline inverse opal walls. Compositional tuning and photonic band gap engineering of the MoS2-TiO2 photonic films showed that integration of low amounts of MoS2 nanosheets in the inverse opal framework maintains intact the periodic macropore structure and enhances the available surface area, resulting in efficient VLA antibiotic degradation far beyond the performance of benchmark TiO2 films. The combination of broadband MoS2 visible light absorption and photonic-assisted light trapping together with the enhanced charge separation that enables the generation of reactive oxygen species via firm interfacial coupling between MoS2 nanosheets and TiO2 nanoparticles is concluded as a competent approach for pharmaceutical abatement in water bodies.

Eco-friendly sustainable machining with MoS2-based solid lubricant

Machining is one of the basic and inevitable operations in the manufacturing industry. The machining performance is estimated based on various parameters like cutting forces, surface roughness, tool–chip interface temperature, and specific energy. In the traditional approach, cutting fluids are greatly utilized to dissipate the generated heat during machining, but their utilization causes a threat to nature and human being’s health. Therefore, there emerges a necessity to determine user-friendly, sustainable, and eco-friendly substitutes for traditional cutting fluids. The field of advanced tribology has proposed the usage of solid lubricants due to their inherent properties, such as excellent tribological performance, reduced machining zone temperature due to lowered friction, and enhanced tool life. Therefore, in the present study, pure MoS2 and composite MoS2–TiO2 solid lubricants have been employed in the milling process of AISI 52100 steel with HSS end mill cutter. The machining was carried out in different conditions such as uncoated tool without use of lubricant, uncoated tool with use of lubricant, coated tool without use of lubricant, and coated tool with use of lubricant that were employed to analyze their effect on machining performance. The experimental results showed substantial improvement regarding reduced cutting forces, reduced temperature at tool–chip interface, improved surface finish, and average tool wear with the application of solid lubricants. Among the various lubricating conditions, composite MoS2–TiO2-coated tool with composite MoS2–TiO2 lubricant exhibits excellent machining performance.

MoS2-TiO2 Nanocomposites for Enhanced Photo-electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution

The investigation on the designing and fabrication of highly efficient electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is critical for future applications in renewable sustainable energy. The present work reports the hydrothermal synthesis of two-dimensional MoS2 and MoS2-TiO2 nanostructures. The as-prepared nanostructures were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Raman analysis, UV–vis-NIR, and photoluminescence spectrophotometry and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Systematic electrochemical measurements for HER were performed and MoS2-TiO2 nanocomposites demonstrated the lowest onset potential in comparison with MoS2. The results suggest that the nanofusion interface between MoS2 nanoflakes and TiO2 nanoparticles induced an efficient charge transfer from the conduction band of MoS2 to TiO2 and favored the reduction of H+ at active sites. We believe the present work can open up new possibilities that would provide deep insights for the rational design of 2D materials-based catalysts for energy storage and conversion applications.

Impact of Postprocessing Approaches and Interface Cocatalysts Regulation on Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution of Protonic Titanate Derived TiO2 Nanostructures

TiO2–based photocatalysis system for splitting water into hydrogen offers a sustainable and green technology to produce clean hydrogen energy. However, pristine TiO2 still exists inherent shortcomings restricting its practical applications. Herein, the impact of postprocessing approaches of protonic titanate on engineering of oxygen vacancy and photocatalytic hydrogen evolution of TiO2−x is studied. Subsequently, interfacial cocatalysts are successfully involved in the optimized TiO2−x for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. TiO2−x with the highest photocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance of 3112.09 μmol g−1 h−1, denoted as TiO2–C, is selected to adjust the interface with Cu and MoS2 respectively. Cu–TiO2–C and MoS2–TiO2–C composites are synthesized to enhance the separation ability of photogenerated electron‐hole pairs and significantly improve the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance. The photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rates of 5 wt% Cu–TiO2–C and 40 wt% MoS2–TiO2–C are 9225.75 and 5765.48 μmol g−1 h−1, respectively. It is proved that different postprocessing methods can tune the content of oxygen vacancy in TiO2−x and regulate the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance of TiO2−x materials. The interface regulation of the cocatalyst also contributes to the separation of photogenerated electron‐hole pairs and serves as active sites to enhance hydrogen evolution performance.

Highly active and stable MoS2-TiO2 nanocomposite catalyst for slurry-phase phenanthrene hydrogenation

MoS2-TiO2 nanocomposite catalysts with Janus structure were synthesized via facile one-step solvothermal method. X-ray diffraction, high resolution transmission electron microscope, NO chemisorption and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were applied to characterize the composition and nanostructure of the MoS2-TiO2 nanocomposite catalysts. Experimental results revealed that the MoS2-TiO2 nanocomposite catalysts with Janus structure were composed of MoS2 layers (few stacked layers of 1–3 and short slabs of 2–10 nm) and TiO2 nanoparticles (10–15 nm), which have strong MoS2-TiO2 interaction with transferring electrons from TiO2 to MoS2. Catalytic performance of MoS2-TiO2 nanocomposite catalysts for phenanthrene hydrogenation was investigated and compared with that of MoS2 catalyst in an autoclave reactor with high temperature and high pressure. The phenanthrene conversion over the MoS2-TiO2 nanocomposite catalyst with MoS2 content of 15.0 wt% (MoS2-TiO2-15) can reach 91.6%, which was much higher than 50.4% for MoS2 catalyst and 76.8% for conventional supported MoS2/TiO2-15 catalyst. After 7 cycles of phenanthrene hydrogenation reaction, the phenanthrene conversion over MoS2-TiO2-15 nanocatalyst remained at 68.6%, while the phenanthrene conversion over MoS2 catalyst was reduced to only 25.4%. The MoS2-TiO2 nanocomposite catalysts exhibit significantly enhanced catalytic activity and stability for slurry phase hydrogenation. The enhanced catalytic activity originates from the exposure of abundant coordinatively unsaturated Mo atoms. The enhanced stability results from the Janus structure with stable MoS2-TiO2 interaction and Mo–O–Ti bonds, which anchor MoS2 layers on the surface of TiO2 nanoparticles to avoid the curling, folding and agglomeration of MoS2 layers. This is an important finding on slurry phase catalytic hydrogenation performances of MoS2-based nanocomposite catalysts with Janus structure. Shedding light on the research of Janus nanocomposite catalysts in catalytic hydrogenation is significantly crucial for the development of effective and stable hydrogenation catalysts.

Enhanced Resistive Switching in Flexible Hybrid RRAM Devices With PVK:MoS2/TiO2 Bilayer

High-performance flexible resistive random access memory (RRAM) devices were demonstrated by engineering the switching layer with PVK:MoS2 composite and TiO2 bilayer. These flexible RRAM devices exhibited excellent switching with low SET (1.2 V) and RESET (−1.5 V) voltages, a high repeatability of 1000 cycles, and an excellent retention time of 5000 s with an ON/OFF current ratio more than 102 at a read voltage of 0.2 V, significantly better than neat PVK/TiO2 devices. Moreover, devices with PVK:MoS2/TiO2 bilayer exhibited high stability upon bending with radii up to 7 mm for 100 cycles. Our results indicate that PVK:MoS2/TiO2 composite bilayer can be a promising switching layer candidate for high-performance flexible RRAM devices.

Plasmonic Metal Mediated Charge Transfer in Stacked Core-Shell Semiconductor Heterojunction for Significantly Enhanced CO2 Photoreduction.

Construction of core-shell semiconductor heterojunctions and plasmonic metal/semiconductor heterostructures represents two promising routes to improved light harvesting and promoted charge separation, but their photocatalytic activities are respectively limited by sluggish consumption of charge carriers confined in the cores, and contradictory migration directions of plasmon-induced hot electrons and semiconductor-generated electrons. Herein, a semiconductor/metal/semiconductor stacked core-shell design is demonstrated to overcome these limitations and significantly boost the photoactivity in CO2 reduction. In this smart design, sandwiched Au serves as a "stone", which "kills two birds" by inducing localized surface plasmon resonance for hot electron generation and mediating unidirectional transmission of conduction band electrons and hot electrons from TiO2 core to MoS2 shell. Meanwhile, upward band bending of TiO2 drives core-to-shell migration of holes through TiO2 -MoS2 interface. The co-existence of TiO2 →Au→MoS2 electron flow and TiO2 →MoS2 hole flow contributes to spatial charge separation on different locations of MoS2 outer layer for overall redox reactions. Additionally, reduction potential of photoelectrons participating in the CO2 reduction is elaborately adjusted by tuning the thickness of MoS2 shell, and thus the product selectivity is delicately regulated. This work provides fresh hints for rationally controlling the charge transfer pathways toward high-efficiency CO2 photoreduction.

In Situ Assembly of Well-Defined MoS2 Slabs on Shape-Tailored Anatase TiO2 Nanostructures: Heterojunctions Role in Phenol Photodegradation

MoS2/TiO2-based nanostructures have attracted extensive attention due to their high performance in many fields, including photocatalysis. In this contribution, MoS2 nanostructures were prepared via an in situ bottom-up approach at the surface of shape-controlled TiO2 nanoparticles (TiO2 nanosheets and bipyramids). Furthermore, a multi-technique approach by combining electron microscopy and spectroscopic methods was employed. More in detail, the morphology/structure and vibrational/optical properties of MoS2 slabs on TiO2 anatase bipyramidal nanoparticles, mainly exposing {101} facets, and on TiO2 anatase nanosheets exposing both {001} and {101} facets, still covered by MoS2, were compared. It was shown that unlike other widely used methods, the bottom-up approach enabled the atomic-level growth of well-defined MoS2 slabs on TiO2 nanostructures, thus aiming to achieve the most effective chemical interactions. In this regard, two kinds of synergistic heterojunctions, namely, crystal face heterojunctions between anatase TiO2 coexposed {101} and {001} facets and semiconductor heterojunctions between MoS2 and anatase TiO2 nanostructures, were considered to play a role in enhancing the photocatalytic activity, together with a proper ratio of (101), (001) coexposed surfaces.

Coaxial Multiphase Flame for Continuous‐Flow Assembly of Ternary Nanocomposite Photocatalysts

AbstractFor the low‐cost production of graphene (G)‐included composites, the growth of graphene on a transition metal in hydrocarbon flames is introduced, where the hydrocarbons are adsorbed on the metal surface, followed by catalytic decomposition, leading to continuous G formation. On the other hand, the flame synthesis of G is still a batch process, limiting the practical applications of such materials. Moreover, the hybridization of G for enhanced catalytic activities requires additional reaction and separation steps. Here, a coaxial multiphase flame is generated and combined with a rotating Cu–Ni foil and ultrasonic bath for the continuous‐flow assembly of ternary G composites with low‐cost and rapid implementation. The continuous flows to generate a multicomponent flame consist of MoS2 particle‐laden N2 gas (inner), titanium isopropoxide vapor‐laden CH4‐air (middle), and ethanol liquid (outer), while Cu–Ni foil plies between the flame and ultrasonic bath for the assembly and dispersion of MoS2–TiO2@G composites. The configuration of the composite can be modulated by replacing the MoS2 flow with a CdS flow to construct CdS–TiO2@G. From photocatalytic H2 production and CO2 reduction tests, the developed coaxial flame provides comparable performance with analogous architectures from the usual multistep methods despite the high‐throughput production.

Structural, optical and electrical characterization of MoS2/TiO2 heterostructured thin films by chemical bath deposition technique

MoS2/TiO2 heterostructures thin films are successfully deposited by chemical bath deposition (CBD) technique. The structural, optical and electrical properties of prepared films are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, UV-vis spectrophotometry, photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL), and Four point probe technique, respectively. Raman Spectra and XRD confirmed the formation of hexagonal MoS2 and anatase TiO2. UV-Vis spectrophotometry confirmed the band gap energy (Eg) of MoS2 and TiO2 thin films are 1.14 eV and 3.44 eV, respectively. The Eg of films is changed according to the material deposited onto them i.e. it increased by depositing TiO2 onto the MoS2 and decreased the other way round. MT (Titania on Molybdenum disulfide) and TM (Vice Versa) have band gaps of 2.81 eV and 1.5 eV, respectively. The photoluminescence spectra showed that photoluminescence emission increased for TiO2 in the MoS2/TiO2 and TiO2/MoS2 heterostructures films. The exchange of trion to neutral excitons by charges transfer from MoS2 to TiO2 in heterostructures leads to increase the PL intensity. The average sheet resistivity of TiO2, MoS2, glass/MoS2/TiO2 and glass/TiO2/MoS2 films are 2.41 × 107 (Ω-m), 6.44 × 104 (Ω-m), 1.93 × 106 (Ω-m) and 2.35 × 104 (Ω-m), respectively. CBD is low cost, simple, and large area deposition technique and by this research the heterostructures films can easily be deposited for industrial purpose.

Synergy between in-situ immobilized MoS2 nanosheets and TiO2 nanotubes for efficient electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution

MoS2 electrocatalyst exhibits a significant potential to substitute platinum in hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), but its immobilization on practical supports is still challenging. Herein, a facile hydrothermal method is developed for in-situ immobilizing MoS2 nanosheets on titanium nanotubes (TNTs) support. Easy to mount electrodes with a uniform and dense layer of MoS2 on TNTs are achieved. An overpotential of −200 mVRHE is ample to deliver −10 mA/cm2 from an acidic medium. This overpotential is much lower than those of the electrodes developed by drop-casting MoS2 on TNTs, glassy carbon (274 mV), and in-situ immobilized on Ti foil (264 mV). The results revealed that the synergy between the in-situ immobilized MoS2 and TNTs enhances the electrochemical surface area and the adsorption capacity of hydronium ions. The electronic interaction between MoS2 and TNTs facilitates the mobility of electrons and reduces the charge transfer resistance at the electrode/electrolyte interface.

Sphere-like MoS2 and porous TiO2 composite film on Ti foil as lithium-ion battery anode synthesized by plasma electrolytic oxidation and magnetron sputtering

In this paper, a sphere-like MoS2 and porous TiO2 composite film was prepared on Ti foil by plasma electrolytic oxidation and magnetron sputtering methods. The prepared film was assembled as a binder-free anode in the lithium-ion battery and a Li foil served as the counter electrode. The specific capacity and cycling stability of the electrode were evaluated, together with the cyclic voltammograms and electrochemical impedance spectra. The TiO2/MoS2 composite film anode combined the advantages of TiO2 with high structural stability and MoS2 with high theoretical capacity. The electrochemical performance exhibited a specific capacity above 400 mAh g−1 at the current density of 100 µA cm−2, which was much higher than that of the TiO2 anode. Besides, after cycling under a high current density of 1000 μA cm−2, the capacity came back to 91% of the initial capacity, showing a good rate capability. The porous TiO2 prepared by plasma electrolytic oxidation can provide a significant number of internal channels for the Li+ diffusion, resulting in a high porosity of 33.5–41.6%, and a high Li+ diffusion coefficient of 3.12 × 10−14–6.67 × 10−14 cm2/s, which was beneficial for the enhanced electrochemical performance.

Nanostructured TiO2 Sensitized with MoS2 Nanoflowers for Enhanced Photodegradation Efficiency toward Methyl Orange.

Nanostructured titanium dioxide (TiO2) has a potential platform for the removal of organic contaminants, but it has some limitations. To overcome these limitations, we devised a promising strategy in the present work, the heterostructures of TiO2 sensitized by molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) nanoflowers synthesized by the mechanochemical route and utilized as an efficient photocatalyst for methyl orange (MO) degradation. The surface of TiO2 sensitized by MoS2 was comprehensively characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform–infrared spectroscopy (FT–IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–vis DRS), photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). From XRD results, the optimized MoS2–TiO2 (5.0 wt %) nanocomposite showcases the lowest crystallite size of 14.79 nm than pristine TiO2 (20 nm). The FT–IR and XPS analyses of the MoS2–TiO2 nanocomposite exhibit the strong interaction between MoS2 and TiO2. The photocatalytic results show that sensitization of TiO2 by MoS2 drastically enhanced the photocatalytic activity of pristine TiO2. According to the obtained results, the optimal amount of MoS2 loading was assumed to be 5.0 wt %, which exhibited a 21% increment of MO photodegradation efficiency compared to pristine TiO2 under UV–vis light. The outline of the overall study describes the superior photocatalytic performance of 5.0 wt % MoS2–TiO2 nanocomposite which is ascribed to the delayed recombination by efficient charge transfer, high surface area, and elevated surface oxygen vacancies. The context of the obtained results designates that the sensitization of TiO2 with MoS2 is a very efficient nanomaterial for photocatalytic applications.

Construction of 2D layered TiO2@MoS2 heterostructure for efficient adsorption and photodegradation of organic dyes

In this work, heterostructures of coupled TiO2@MoS2 with different phases of MoS2 were synthesized via hydrothermal technique. The prepared materials were thoroughly characterized using various techniques, including XRD, SEM, transmission electron microscopy, Brunauer–Emmet–Teller, XPS, Zeta potential and UV–vis spectroscopy. The optimized nanocomposites were tested for the photocatalytic degradation of methyl Orange (MO) under visible light as well as the adsorption of Rhodamine b (RhB) and methelene blue (MB) dyes. The TiO2@1T/2H-MoS2 heterostructures exhibited a narrow bandgap compared to the other studied nanomaterials. A remarkable photodegradation efficiency of TiO2@1T/2H-MoS2 was observed, which completely degraded 20 ppm of MO after 60 min with high stability over four successive cycles. This can be assigned to the formation of unique heterostructures with aligned energy bands between MoS2 nanosheets and TiO2 nanobelts. The formation of these novel interfaces promoted the electron transfer and increased the separation efficiency of carriers, resulting in high photocatalytic degradation. Furthermore, the adsorption efficiency of TiO2@1T/2H-MoS2 was unique, 20 ppm solutions of RhB and MB were removed after 1 and 2 min, respectively. The superior adsorption performance of the TiO2@1T/2H-MoS2 can be attributed to its high surface area (279.9 m2 g−1) and the rich concentration of active sites. The kinetics and the isothermal analysis revealed that the TiO2@1T/2H MoS2 heterstructures have maximum adsorption capacity of 1200 and 970 mg g−1 for RhB and MB, respectively. This study provides a powerful way for designing an effective photocatalyst and adsorbent TiO2-based nanocomposites for water remediation.

Fabrication of 3D MoS2-TiO2@PAN electro-spun membrane for efficient and recyclable photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes

In this work, molybdenum disulfide-titanium dioxide (MoS2-TiO2) nanohybrids were decorated on polyacrylonitrile (PAN) electrospun membrane to fabricate a highly efficient and recyclable 3D composite for photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants. It was found that the high surface area of MoS2 nanosheets facilitated the formation of TiO2 nanotubes, which further promoted the exfoliation of MoS2 nanosheets. In addition, the matched band gaps between MoS2 nanosheets and TiO2 nanotubes brought MoS2-TiO2@PAN membrane excellent photocatalytic degradation performance of five organic dyes. The best degradation efficiency of the as-prepared MoS2-TiO2@PAN membrane was 97.73%. Based on these results, we presented the photocatalytic degradation mechanism of MoS2-TiO2@PAN membrane. Our strategy for fabricating efficient and recyclable 3D MoS2-TiO2@PAN membrane is facile, cost-efficient and eco-friendly, which will be a promising method for the photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes.

Interfacial reinforcement structure design towards ultrastable lithium storage in MoS2-based composited electrode

Huge volume expansion and inferior electrical conductivity are the two main obstacles to limit the practical applications of high-capacity molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) materials, which has been recognized as ideal anode materials for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. Herein, an interfacial reinforcement structure design is proposed by conformally growing few-layered MoS2 nanosheets on carbon coated ultralong TiO2 nanotubes (TiO2@[email protected]2) to stabilize the solid electrolyte interface (SEI) of MoS2-based electrode. The interlayer carbon coating on TiO2 nanotubes effectively improves the interfacial contact between MoS2 nanosheets and TiO2 nanotubes by forming Ti-O-C and C-S chemical bonds between TiO2/carbon coating and MoS2/carbon coating, respectively, avoiding MoS2 nanosheets detaching from TiO2 nanotubes. Meanwhile, the carbon coating serves as a buffering cushion to alleviate mechanical strain at the interface of MoS2 nanosheets and TiO2 nanotubes. Besides, it enhances the adsorption performance of Li ions on the surface of MoS2 and at the interface sites between MoS2 and TiO2. While three-dimensional rigid TiO2 nanotubes networks work as mechanical support to suppress reaggregating and restacking of MoS2 nanosheets, and provide fast transportation expressways for electrons/ions. Thus, the TiO2@[email protected]2 electrode exhibits ultrafast charge/discharge capability, a high reversible capacity of 1150 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1, and superior cycling performance with 90% capacity retention after 1500 cycles at 1.0 A g−1. This interfacial reinforcement structure design provides valuable experience to benefit rational design of alloy/conversion-typed materials electrode with high-performance.

Assemble of Bi-doped TiO2 onto 2D MoS2: an efficient p–n heterojunction for photocatalytic H2 generation under visible light

Fabrication of noble‐metal‐free, efficient and stable hybrid photocatalyst is essential to address the rapidly growing energy crisis and environmental pollution. Here, MoS2 has been used as the co-catalyst on Bi-doped TiO2 to form a novel heterostructure to increase the utilization of the photogenerated charge carriers for improving photocatalytic H2 evolution activity through water reduction. Significantly increased photocatalytic H2 generation has been achieved on the optimized MoS2/Bi-TiO2 nanocomposite (∼512 μmol g–1) after 4 h of visible light illumination, which is nine times higher than that of the pristine TiO2 (∼57 μmol g–1). The measurements of photocurrent, charge transfer resistance and photo-stability of MoS2/Bi-TiO2 photoanode imply that charge separation efficiency has been improved in comparison to the pure MoS2 and TiO2 photoanodes. Further, the Mott–Schottky study confirmed that a p–n heterojunction has been formed between n-type MoS2 and p-type Bi-doped TiO2, which provides a potential gradient to increase charge separation and transfer efficiency. On the basis of these experimental results, this enhanced photocatalytic activity of MoS2/Bi-TiO2 heterostructures could be ascribed to the significant visible light absorption and the efficient charge carrier separation. Thus, this work demonstrates the effect of p–n junction for achieving high H2 evolution activity and photoelectrochemical water oxidation under visible light illumination.