Facile synthesis and catalytic activity of MoS2/TiO2 by a photodeposition-based technique and its oxidized derivative MoO3/TiO2 with a unique photochromism

UV-light irradiation to TiO2 in an aqueous ethanol solution of (NH4)(2)MoS4 under deaerated conditions has yielded molybdenum(IV) sulfide nanoparticles on a TiO2 surface (MoS2/TiO2) to be transformed into molybdenum(VI) oxide species highly dispersed at a molecular level by a subsequent heating at 773 K in air (m-MoO3/TiO2). In HCOOH aqueous solutions, the MoS2/TiO2 system exhibits a high level of photocatalytic activity for H-2 generation, while the m-MoO3/TiO2 system shows unique photochromism. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.