Enhanced dye degradation using 2H-MoS₂ and 1T@2H-MoS₂: A comparative study

Removing the organic dye from polluted water is very challenging due the human health concern and ecological environments. The photocatalytic process can remove the organic dye from polluted water under the sunlight. To enhance the photocatalytic property, here we have synthesized the MoS2 by using two different molybdenum sources via one-step hydrothermal methods characterized using XRD, FESEM, Raman, XPS and UV-Visible techniques. We investigate the potential of synthesized MoS2 nanostructures for dye degradation applications. The results demonstrate that both 2H-MoS2 and 1T@2H-MoS2 exhibit remarkable photocatalytic degradation capabilities towards the model dye. However, the 1T@2H-MoS2 hybrid structure outperforms 2H-MoS2, exhibiting significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity and faster dye degradation kinetics. The improved performance of 1T@2H-MoS2 can be accredited to its wide absorption in solar spectrum, effective charge separation, and increased active sites resulting from the 1T phase incorporation. The photocatalytic activity of 2H-MoS2 shown 73% and 1T@2H-MoS2 exhibits 98% methylene blue dye degradation in 60.0 min and5.0 min under the visible range of sunlight respectively. Overall, this study highlights the potential of 2D MoS2 nanostructures, particularly the 1T@2H-MoS2 hybrid, as efficient catalysts for dye degradation. The development of such materials offers promising prospects for the remediation of dye-contaminated wastewater and contributes to the advancement of sustainable environmental technologies.