A novel heterostructured RuS2–titanate nanohybrid

A novel heterostructured RuS2–titanate nanohybrid has been prepared by reacting the exfoliated titanate sheets with the monodispersed RuS2 nano-sol particles. At first the stable colloidal nano-sheets could be prepared by intercalating tetrabutylamine into layered protonic titanate, HxTi2−x/4□x/4O4·H2O (x=0.67) with a lepidocrocite-like structure, and by successive exfoliating process in an aqueous solution. And then, the monodispersed RuS2 nano-sol particles capped with 1-thioglycerol were hybridized with the colloidal titanate nanosheets. The final product was then heated at 400 °C for 1 h under N2 gas atmosphere in order to complete the grafting reaction of intercalated RuS2 nano-sol on the interlayer surface of layered titanate. X-ray diffraction indicated that the RuS2–titanate nanohybrid has a pillar height of ∼1 nm. From UV–vis absorption spectra, it was found that the present nanohybrid showed visible light sensitization by RuS2 nanoparticles with narrow band gap.