Anchoring of silver nanoparticles on graphite and isomorphous lattices

Recently, multiwalled N-doped carbon nanotubes were decorated with Ag nanoparticles (NPs) by a simple procedure. Now, as a continuation of our earlier work, Ag NP-graphite and Ag NP-molybdenite composites were prepared with this easy, fast, and inexpensive method. Graphite or molybdenite (MoS2) powder was suspended in N,N'-dimethylformamide (DMF) in the presence of different silver salts. As DMF is a good reducing agent of silver cations, in situ formation of Ag NPs took place in the suspension. We supposed that the Ag NP formation is possible on the surface of the supports due to the interaction between the unoccupied silver orbitals and the pi-electrons of graphite or the 3p sulfur orbitals of MoS2. This is the first report about the Ag NP-MoS2 nanocomposites synthesis. A complete spectral and structural characterization of these composites was accomplished by UV-vis and Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and particle charge detector. According to these measurements, nanocomposites were formed depending on the original silver salt, support, surface charge, and stabilizing agent.