title: Chemically exfoliated MoS₂ nanosheets as an efficient catalyst for reduction reactions in the aqueous phase.
abstract: Chemically exfoliated MoS2 (ce-MoS2) 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-MoS2 nanosheets are efficient catalysts for a number of model reduction reactions (namely, those of 4-nitrophenol, 4-nitroaniline, methyl orange, and [Fe(CN)6](3-)) carried out in aqueous medium using NaBH4 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-MoS2 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.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional del Carbón, INCAR-CSIC , Apartado 73, 33080 Oviedo, Spain.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guardia
authors.forename: Juan I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Paredes
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Munuera
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Villar-Rodil
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ayán-Varela
authors.forename: Amelia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martínez-Alonso
authors.forename: Juan M D
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Tascón
keywords: MoS2; heterogeneous catalysis; reduction reaction; transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs); two-dimensional material