Edge-rich MoS2 nanosheets anchored on layered Ti3C2 MXene for highly efficient and rapid catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol and methylene blue

In this work, we report a simple one-step hydrothermal synthesis strategy for depositing edge-rich MoS2 nanosheets on conductive layered Ti3C2 MXene, and demonstrate the formed MoS2/Ti3C2 heterostructure has significant active site exposure and effective charge carrier flow. The resulting MoS2/Ti3C2 exhibits enhanced activity and excellent stability for the catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP). The optimal MoS2/Ti3C2 catalyst displays a high pseudo-first-order rate constant of 0.61 min-1, a conversion efficiency of 96.2% within 5 min and almost unchanged activity after six consecutive reaction cycles, which is better than the pristine MoS2 nanosheets. Moreover, the MoS2/Ti3C2 catalyst achieves a pseudo-first-order rate constant as high as 0.779 min-1 for the catalytic reduction of methylene blue (MB). This study opens up new opportunities for the design and development of cost-effective, efficient and reusable alternatives to noble metal catalysts based on molybdenum disulfide for environmental applications. (c) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

A simple one-step hydrothermal synthesis strategy was used to deposit edge-rich MoS2 nanosheets on Ti3C2 MXene, resulting in MoS2/Ti3C2 heterostructure with significant active site exposure and effective charge carrier flow. The MoS2/Ti3C2 catalyst showed enhanced activity and stability in catalytic reduction reactions, surpassing the pristine MoS2 nanosheets. This study opens new opportunities for cost-effective and efficient alternatives to noble metal catalysts for environmental applications.