Preparation of MoS2 microspheres through surfactants-assisted hydrothermal synthesis using thioacetamide as reducing agent

MoS2 microspheres were synthesized by hydrothermal method using thioacetamide (CH3CSNH2) as S-source and reducing agent. The influences of Mo to S mole ratio, pH value and surfactants on the morphology, crystallinity and purity of the resultants were investigated. The pure two-layer hexagonal (2H) MoS2 microspheres with about 200 nm average diameter were synthesized at 220 °C in the pH = 6 solution when the Mo/S mole ratio was 1:2. The agglomeration of synthesized MoS2 was restrained by the addition of surfactants. The MoS2 synthesized with PVP addition showed a uniform spherical morphologies with smaller average diameter (about 160 nm) than the samples prepared with other surfactants addition as a result of the steric-hinerance effect of PVP. The best effects on restraining reunion and modifying morphology could be reached when Mo to S were 1:2, pH = 6, reaction temperature at 220 °C with 8 wt% of PVP addition.