Greatly improved mechanical and thermal properties of chitosan by carboxyl-functionalized MoS2 nanosheets

In this work, molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) nanosheets were employed to enhance the mechanical and thermal properties of chitosan (CS), which was one of the most promising biomaterials. In order to promote a homogeneous dispersion of MoS 2 and improved interface interactions between CS and fillers, carboxyl functionalization was subjected to the exfoliated MoS 2 nanosheets by chemical conjugation with thioglycolic acid before compositing with CS. Afterward, the CS/MoS 2 – g –COOH composite films were prepared by a simple solution blending method. Micromorphology characterizations showed that MoS 2 – g –COOH nanosheets dispersed much better than unmodified MoS 2 nanosheets, which was considered to be quite beneficial for the enhanced properties of CS nanocomposites. DMA results indicated that the mechanical properties of CS were improved by incorporating with MoS 2 – g –COOH nanosheets compared with neat CS and unmodified MoS 2 -filled CS. The thermal stability of CS/MoS 2 – g –COOH was also improved. This work demonstrated a promising route to prepare MoS 2 -based polymer nanocomposites with excellent performances.