Construction of carbon nitride and MoS_2 quantum dot 2D/0D hybrid photocatalyst:Direct Z-scheme mechanism for improved photocatalytic activity

Graphite‐like carbon nitride(g‐C3N4)‐based compounds have attracted considerable attention because of their excellent photocatalytic performance.In this work,a novel direct Z‐scheme system constructed from two‐dimensional(2D)g‐C3N4nanoplates and zero‐dimensional(0D)MoS2quantum dots(QDs)was prepared through the combination of a hydrothermal process and microemulsion preparation.The morphologies,structures,and optical properties of the as‐prepared photocatalysts were characterized by X‐ray diffraction,X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy,atomic force microscopy,transmission electron microscopy,and UV‐vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy.In addition,the photocatalytic performances of the prepared2D/0D hybrid composites were evaluated based on the photodegradation of rhodamine B under visible‐light irradiation.The results demonstrated that the introduction of MoS2QDs to g‐C3N4greatly enhanced the photocatalytic efficiency.For the optimum7%MoS2QD/g‐C3N4photocatalyst,the degradation rate constant was8.8times greater than that of pure g‐C3N4under visible‐light irradiation.Photocurrent and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy results further demonstrated that the MoS2QD/g‐C3N4composites exhibited higher photocurrent density and lower chargetransfer resistance than those of the pure g‐C3N4or MoS2QDs.Active species trapping,terephthalic acid photoluminescence,and nitro blue tetrazolium transformation experiments were performed to investigate the evolution of reactive oxygen species,including hydroxyl radicals and superoxide radicals.The possible enhanced photocatalytic mechanism was attributed to a direct Z‐scheme system,which not only can increase the separation efficiency of photogenerated electron‐hole pairs but also possesses excellent oxidation and reduction ability for high photocatalytic performances.This work provides an effective synthesis approach and insight to help develop other C3N4‐based direct Z‐scheme photocatalytic systems for environmental purification and energy conversion.

Facile and controllable synthesis of molybdenum disulfide quantum dots for highly sensitive and selective sensing of copper ions

Molybdenum disulfide quantum dots（MoS2QDs） were synthesized via a hydrothermal method using sodium molybdate and cysteine as molybdenum and sulfur sources, respectively. The optimal hydrothermal time was studied. Furthermore, the as synthesized water-soluble MoS2QDs were used as a fluorescence probe for the sensitive and selective detection of copper ions. The fluorescence of the MoS2QDs was quenched after the addition of copper ions; the reason may be that the transfer of the excited electron from QDs to copper ions leads to the reduction of the radiative recombination.The fluorescence quenching of MoS2QDs is linearly dependent on the copper ions concentration ranging from 0.1 μM to600 μM, the limit of detection is 0.098 μM, which is much lower than that of existing methods. Moreover, the MoS2QDs show highly selectivity towards the detection of copper ions.

Investigation on tribological behaviors of MoS2 and WS2 quantum dots as lubricant additives in ionic liquids under severe conditions

Despite excellent tribological behaviors of ionic liquids (ILs) as lubricating oils, their friction-reducing and anti-wear properties must be improved when they are used under severe conditions. There are only a few reports exploring additives for ILs. Here, MoS2 and WS2 quantum dots (QDs, with particle size less than 10 nm) are prepared via a facile green technique, and they are dispersed in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([BMIm]PF6), forming homogeneous dispersions exhibiting long-term stabilities. Tribological test results indicate that the addition of MoS2 and WS2 QDs in the IL can significantly enhance the friction-reducing and anti-wear abilities of the neat IL under a constant load of 500 N and a temperature of 150 °C. The exceptional tribological properties of these additives in the IL are ascribed to the formation of protective films, which are produced not only by the physical absorption of MoS2 and WS2 QDs at the steel/steel contact surfaces, but also by the tribochemical reaction between MoS2 or WS2 and the iron atoms/iron oxide species.

0D/3D direct Z-scheme heterojunctions hybridizing by MoS2 quantum dots and honeycomb conjugated triazine polymers (CTPs) for enhanced photocatalytic performance

Herein,a novel direct Z-scheme photocatalyst was accomplished by hybridization of 0D MoS2 quantum dots(MSQDs)and 3D honeycomb-like conjugated triazine polymers(CTP)(namely,CTP-MSQD).The unique 0D/3D hierarchical structure significantly enhanced the exposure of active sites and light harvesting property,while the formed p-n junction enabled the direct strong interface coupling without the necessity of any mediators.The optimized CTP-MSQD3 exhibited continuously increased visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity and strong durability both in Cr(VI)reduction and H2 evolution,featured a rate of 0.069 min^(-1) and 1070μmol/(hr•g),respectively,which were 8 times than those of pure 3D-CTP(0.009 min^(−1) and 129μmol/(hr•g)).We believe that this work provides a promising photocatalyst system that combines a 0D/3D hierarchical structure and a Z-scheme charge flow for efficient and stable photocatalytic conversion.