Photocatalytic activity of layered MoS2 in the reductive degradation of bromophenol blue

Molybdenum disulphide (MoS2) is a layered material with interesting photocatalytic properties. In this study, a layered MoS2 was produced using a hydrothermal method. The obtained material was characterised by XRD (X-ray diffraction), XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy), SEM (scanning electron microscopy), UV-Vis spectroscopy, DLS (dynamic light scattering), and zeta potential analysis. For the evaluation of the photocatalytic properties of layered MoS2, a solution of bromophenol blue (BPB) and the catalyst was illuminated for 120 minutes. According to the experimental results, MoS2 exhibited excellent catalytic activity in BPB degradation. The MoS2 preparation method enabled improved light harvesting, avoided fast charge recombination (related to bulk MoS2), and created a large number of suitable electron transfer sites for photocatalytic reactions. Simulation of BPB decay and bromide production was carried out for a further understanding of MoS2 photocatalytic action. The simulation results proved the reduction mechanism of BPB photodegradation.