文摘
Chemically exfoliated MoS<sub>2sub> (ce-MoS<sub>2sub>) nanosheets that incorporate a large fraction of metallic 1T phase have been recently shown to possess a high electrocatalytic activity in the hydrogen evolution reaction, but the potential of this two-dimensional material as a catalyst has otherwise remained mostly uncharted. Here, we demonstrate that ce-MoS<sub>2sub> nanosheets are efficient catalysts for a number of model reduction reactions (namely, those of 4-nitrophenol, 4-nitroaniline, methyl orange, and [Fe(CN)<sub>6sub>]<sup>3鈥?/sup>) carried out in aqueous medium using NaBH<sub>4sub> as a reductant. The performance of the nanosheets in these reactions is found to be comparable to that of many noble metal-based catalysts. The possible reaction pathways involving ce-MoS<sub>2sub> as a catalyst are also discussed and investigated. Overall, the present results expand the scope of this two-dimensional material as a competitive, inexpensive, and earth-abundant catalyst.
Keywords:
MoS<sub>2sub>; two-dimensional material; transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs); reduction reaction; heterogeneous catalysis