Interface Engineering of Noble-Metal-Free 2D Cu-MoS2 Nanocomposites for Enhanced Photocatalytic Analysis

Molybdenum disulfide popularly known as MoS2, a remarkable 2D transition metal, incorporated with Copper (Cu) nanocomposites emerged as a significant nanocomposite material which enhances its optical, electrical and catalytic properties. The synergistic ability of Cu-MoS2 nanocomposites also improves the stability, charge transfer ability as well as catalytic efficiency. The remarkable properties like tunable band gap, effective mechanical strength and larger surface area provided by MoS2 governed its application in energy storage, photocatalysis and sensing. The synergistic incorporation of MoS2 nanosheets with noble metal like Cu not only enhances its performance but also leads to its application in various fields. Here a solvothermal process is used to synthesize Cu-MoS2 nanocomposites. The analysis of the morphology of Cu-MoS2 and its various characteristics can be governed through the study of photoluminescence (PL) spectra, UV-Vis spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The degradation efficiency of Cu and Cu-MoS2 nanocomposite comprises of 41% and 81% as demonstrated from photocatalytic degradation experiment consisting of a solution of 5M methylene blue concentration. It upgrades the potential of Cu-MoS2 nanocomposite in photocatalytic degradation application.