CTAB-assisted synthesis of novel ultrathin MoSe2 nanosheets perpendicular to graphene for the adsorption and photodegradation of organic dyes under visible light

A novel nanostructure of perpendicular ultrathin MoSe2 nanosheets directly grown on graphene was produced by a facile hydrothermal method in the presence of CTAB. The vertically-oriented and ultrathin MoSe2 nanosheets distribute uniformly on the surface of graphene, and the nanosheets are typically 2-3 layers, which is confirmed by TEM and red shift of the A(1g) Raman peak. In comparison with pure MoSe2 and MoSe2 nanospheres on graphene, vertically oriented MoSe2 nanosheets on graphene show enhanced organic dye adsorption ability and photocatalytic performance in the degradation of MB, RhB and MO under dark conditions and visible light irradiation. The excellent photocatalytic activity may be contributed by the unique perpendicular MoSe2 nanosheets with fully exposed active edges and hybridized with graphene for reduced electron-hole pair recombination.