In situ self-assembly of molybdenum disulfide/Mg–Al layered double hydroxide composite for enhanced photocatalytic activity

In this work, in situ growth of thin layer and highly catalytic activity molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) was successfully synthesized by spatial confinement effect of Mg–Al layered double hydroxide (Simplified as LDH below). Due to the unique spatial confinement effect and electropositivity of the LDH layer, MoS 2 will controllable in situ grows along the surface of LDH layer, the MoS 2 synthesized in LDH tends to monolayer or thin layer instead of growing into a flower-like structure, this new strategy is different from vapor deposition, exfoliation and laser irradiation to prepare thin layer MoS 2 . Meanwhile, the conglomerate structure of LDH is opened and converted to thin layer by the growth of MoS 2 , too. The rich defects carried by thin layer LDH also help to improve the catalytic ability of MoS 2 . MoS 2 /LDH can absorb the light from ultraviolet to visible light region, The prepared MoS 2 /LDH composite was used as a photocatalytic material, and was found to be the best photocatalyst degrading about 96% of the MB solution (20 mg/L) after 180 min.