A solvothermal route to high-surface-area nanostructured MoS2

We describe a simple route to nanostructured MoS2 based on the decomposition of the cluster-based precursor (NH4)(2)Mo3S13.xH(2)O in solvothermal toluene at 653 K. Solvothermal decomposition results in nanostructured material distinct from that obtained by decomposition of the precursor in sealed quartz tubes at the same temperature. When carried out in the presence of the surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), the decomposition results in unusual string-like morphologies of highly disordered MoS2 lamellae, with high surface areas. An attempt to understand representative sizes and structures of the nanoMoS(2) produced by the different methods has been made using DIFFaX simulations of the powder X-ray diffraction patterns.