Preparation and characterization of nanocomposite materials consisting of molybdenum disulfide and cobalt(ii) coordination complexes

Abstract

Two layered nanocomposites, [Co(1,10-phen)₃]_yMoS₂ and [Co(2,2′-bpy)₃]_yMoS₂, have been prepared from the interaction of MoS₂ single layer dispersions with aqueous solutions of corresponding coordination cationic complexes. The intercalation composites were characterized by X-ray power diffraction, elemental analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry and BET surface measurements. Each of the composites contains roughly one cobalt complex cation to twenty formula units of MoS₂ with interlayer expansions of 9.53 and 10.18 Å, respectively. The intercalated complexes are arranged in a mono-layer fashion between the host MoS₂ sheets with the C₃ symmetry axes of the CoN₆ octahedrah of the guests perpendicular to the host sheets. In the presence of molecular oxygen, the composites exhibit good catalytic activities in the oxidization of sulfide ions into thiosulfate ions, due to their large surface areas. Their catalytic activities are enhanced upon irradiation with visible light.