An inorganic nanohybrid with high specific surface area:: TiO2-pillared MoS2

A novel lamellar inorganic-inorganic nanohybrid (TiO-pillared MoS2) has been successfully synthesized by an exfoliation-reassembling method. According to the X-ray diffraction and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy analyses, quantum-sized TiO2 nanoparticles with a diameter of 1 nm are homogeneously distributed in the interlayer space of a two-dimensional MoS2 lattice. Such structural regularity of pillars results in a remarkable enhancement of porosity, as confirmed by nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms. The Langmuir specific surface area (186 m(2) g(-1)) of the TiO2-pillared MoS2 has been determined to be remarkably larger than that (12 m(2) g(-1)) of the restacked MoS2. It is, therefore, evident that adequate intercalation of TiO2 nanoparticles into a MoS2 lattice gives rise to a highly porous structure. Ti K-edge extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) analyses also indicate that the anatase nanopillars are stabilized in the interlayer space of MoS2 without any significant agglomeration. From Mo K-edge EXAFS studies, it has been found that the highly distorted octahedral structure of the host lattice in the as-prepared nanohybrid changes into a thermodynamically stable trigonal prismatic one upon heat treatment.