An Inorganic Nanohybrid with High Specific Surface Area: TiO₂-Pillared MoS₂

A novel lamellar inorganic−inorganic nanohybrid (TiO 2 -pillared MoS 2 ) has been successfully synthesized by an exfoliation-reassembling method. According to the X-ray diffraction and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy analyses, quantum-sized TiO 2 nanoparticles with a diameter of 1 nm are homogeneously distributed in the interlayer space of a two-dimensional MoS 2 lattice. Such structural regularity of pillars results in a remarkable enhancement of porosity, as confirmed by nitrogen adsorption−desorption isotherms. The Langmuir specific surface area (186 m 2 g -1 ) of the TiO 2 -pillared MoS 2 has been determined to be remarkably larger than that (12 m 2 g -1 ) of the restacked MoS 2 . It is, therefore, evident that adequate intercalation of TiO 2 nanoparticles into a MoS 2 lattice gives rise to a highly porous structure. Ti K-edge extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) analyses also indicate that the anatase nanopillars are stabilized in the interlayer space of MoS 2 without any significant agglomeration. From Mo K-edge EXAFS studies, it has been found that the highly distorted octahedral structure of the host lattice in the as-prepared nanohybrid changes into a thermodynamically stable trigonal prismatic one upon heat treatment.