Synthesis and characterization of flower-like WS2 nanospheres via a facile hydrothermal route

Flower-like WS2 nanospheres with high purity were successfully synthesized via a facile surfactant-assisted hydrothermal route. The products were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The flower-like WS2 nanospheres, consisting of numerous aggregate nanosheets with the width of 300-500 nm, had uniform sizes with a mean diameter about 5 mu m. Further comparative experiments showed that the surfactant cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) played a critical role as templates to promote the growth of WS2 nanosheets and accelerate the assembling of nanosheets into flower-like nanosphere. Interaction forces inside the CTAB made the flower-like nanospheres grow uniformly and dispersedly. Moreover, the WS2 nanoflowers exhibited excellent visible-absorption ability and may have a potential application as a visible photocatalyst.