In this study, a bipolar visible light responsive photocatalytic fuel cell (PFC) was constructed by loading a Z-scheme g-C3N4/ carbon black/BiOBr and a Ti3C2/ MoS2 Schottky heterojunction on the carbon brush to prepare the photoanode and photocathode, respectively. It greatly improved the electron transfer and achieved efficient degradation of organic pollutants such as antibiotics and dyes simultaneously in two chambers of the PFC system. The Z-scheme g-C3N4/carbon black/BiOBr formed by adding highly conductive carbon black to g-C3N4/BiOBr not only effectively separates the photogenerated carriers, but also simultaneously retains the high reduction of the conduction band of g-C3N4 and the high oxidation of the valence band of BiOBr, improving the photocatalytic performance. The exceptional performance of Ti3C2/ MoS2 Schottky heterojunction originated from the superior electrical conductivity of Ti3C2 MXene, which facilitated the separation of photogenerated electron–hole pairs. Meanwhile, the synergistic effect of the two photoelectrodes further improved the photocatalytic performance of the PFC system, with degradation rates of 90.9% and 99.9% for 50 mg L− 1 tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) and 50 mg L− 1 rhodamine-B (RhB), respectively, within 180 min. In addition, it was found that the PFC also exhibited excellent pollutant degradation rates under dark conditions (79.7%, TCH and 97.9%, RhB). This novel pollutant degradation system is expected to provide a new idea for efficient degradation of multiple pollutant simultaneously even in the dark.

Molybdenum disulfide ( MoS2) has been one of the most promising members of transition-metal dichalcogenides materials. Attributed to the excellent electrical performance and special physical properties, MoS2 has been broadly applied in semiconductor devices, such as field effect transistors (FETs). At present, the exploration of further improving the performance of MoS2- based FETs (such as increasing the carrier mobility and scaling) has encountered a bottleneck, and the application of high-κ gate dielectrics has become an effective approach to change this situation. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) enables high-quality integration of MoS2 and high-κ gate dielectrics at the atomic level. In this review, we summarize recent advances in the fabrication of two-dimensional MoS2 FETs using ALD high-κ materials as gate dielectrics. We first briefly discuss the research background of MoS2 FETs. Second, we expound the electrical and other essential properties of high-κ gate dielectrics, which are essential to the performance of MoS2 FETs. Finally, we focus on the advances in fabricating MoS2 FETs with ALD high-κ gate dielectrics on MoS2, as well as the optimized ALD processes. In addition, we also look forward to the development prospect of this field.

The development of advanced materials to improve the efficiency of photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting paves the way for widespread renewable energy technologies. Efficient photoanodes with strong absorbance in visible light increases the effectiveness of solar energy conversion systems. MoS2 in a two-dimensional semiconductor that has excellent absorption performance in visible light and high catalytic activity, showing considerable potential as an agent of PEC water splitting. In this study, we successfully modulated the MoS2 morphology on indium tin oxide substrate by using the metalorganic chemical vapor deposition method, and applied the PEC application. The PEC photocurrent of the vertically grown MoS2 nanosheet structure significantly increased relative to that of MoS2 nanoparticles because of the efficient transfer of charge carriers and high-density active sites. The enhanced photocurrent was attributed to the efficient charge separation and improved light absorption of the MoS2 nanosheet structure. Meanwhile, the photocurrent property of thick nanosheets decreased because of the limit imposed by the diffusion lengths of carriers. This study proposes a valuable photoelectrode design with suitable nanosheet morphology for efficient PEC water splitting.

In this study, the MoS2 nanoparticles grown on crumpled 3D graphene microball (3D GM–MoS2) was synthesized using a microfluidic droplet generator with thermal evaporation-driven capillary compression and hydrothermal reaction. The morphology and size of 3D GM–MoS2 are controlled by the concentration of nano-sized graphene oxide (GO) and the flow rate of oil phase on the droplet generator. The 3D GM–MoS2 with fully sphere-shape and uniform size (~ 5 μm), and homogeneous growth of MoS2 nanoparticles could be synthesized at the flow rate of the oil phase of 60 μL/min with the optimized GO concentration of 1.0 mg/mL, and ( NH4)2MoS4 concentration of 2.0 mg/mL.

In this study, photocatalytic degradation of ammonia in petrochemical wastewater is investigated by solar light photocatalysis. Two-dimensional ultra-thin atomic layer structured MoS2 are synthesized via a simple hydrothermal method. We examine all prepared samples by means of physical techniques, such as SEM-EDX, HRTEM, FT-IR, BET, XRD, XPS, DRS and PL. And, we use fullerene modified MoS2 nanosheets to enhance the activity of photochemically generated oxygen (PGO) species. Surface area and pore volumes of the MoS2-fullerene samples significantly increase due to the existence of MoS2. And, PGO oxidation of MB, TBA and TMST, causing its concentration in aqueous solution to decrease, is confirmed by the results of PL. The generation of reactive oxygen species is detected through the oxidation reaction from 1,5-diphenyl carbazide (DPCI) to 1,5-diphenyl carbazone (DPCO). It is found that the photocurrent density and the PGO effect increase in the case with modified fullerene. The experimental results show that this heterogeneous catalyst has a degradation of 88.43% achieved through visible light irradiation. The product for the degradation of NH3 is identified as N2, but not NO2−or NO3−.

Numerous studies have addressed the commercial viability of lithium–air batteries (LABs). However, the high reactivity of Li with air moisture and CO2 has hindered the broad applicability of LABs. In this study, lithium-protective hybrid lithium–air batteries (HLABs) were fabricated with Super P (SP) and composites of fluorinated carbon ( CFx), MoS2, and WS2 as the cathodes. Subsequently, their potential use as a power source for the next generation of defense technologies was investigated. It was observed that a single cell HLAB with the SP-CFx composite cathode exhibited a specific capacity of 893 mAhg− 1 cathode. In comparison, a Tomcell with the SP cathode demonstrated a specific capacity of 465 mAhg− 1 cathode when discharged. The cells with SP-MoS2 and SP-WS2 cathode yielded specific capacities of 357 and 386 mAhg− 1 cathode, respectively. The improved performance of the SP-CFx cell can be attributed to synergistic effects of lithium–air cell and lithium battery reactions between CFx and SP. To assess all functionalities of the SP-CFx HLAB, lithium-protective HLABs were fabricated and discharged in air. To operate the lithium–air battery in air, pure lithium metal was sealed with solid electrodes (lithium-ion conducting glass–ceramics (LICGC)) and a buffer electrolyte (1 M LiFTSI in TEGDME) was applied. The SP-CFx cell was discharged for 25 days in air, greatly exceeding the 72 h requirement for the next-generation soldier power systems. These results demonstrate significant potential for HLABs to be used as a pioneering power source in nextgeneration energy-independent tactical defense units.

We report the growth and enhanced photoelectrochemcial (PEC) water-splitting reactivity of few-layer MoS2 nanosheets on TiO2 nanowires. TiO2 nanowires with lengths of ~1.5 ~ 2.0 μm and widths of ~50~300 nm are synthesized on fluorine-doped tin oxide substrates at 180 oC using hydrothermal methods with Ti(C4H9O)4. Few-layer MoS2 nanosheets with heights of ~250 ~ 300 nm are vertically grown on TiO2 nanowires at a moderate growth temperature of 300 oC using metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. The MoS2 nanosheets on TiO2 nanowires exhibit typical Raman and ultraviolet-visible light absorption spectra corresponding to few-layer thick MoS2. The PEC performance of the MoS2 nanosheet/TiO2 nanowire heterostructure is superior to that of bare TiO2 nanowires. MoS2/TiO2 heterostructure shows three times higher photocurrent than that of bare TiO2 nanowires at 0.6 V. The enhanced PEC photocurrent is attributed to improved light absorption of MoS2 nanosheets and efficient charge separation through the heterojunction. The photoelectrode of the MoS2/TiO2 heterostructure is stably sustained during on-off switching PEC cycle.

The life span of many engineering components depends upon their surface properties. The improved surface properties of the materials are essential for enhancing the mechanical and tribological performance of the material. In many applications, the components required only improved surface properties without changing the entire volume properties of the material. The friction stir process (FSP) is a novel processing technique for the fabrication of such surface composites. In the present investigation, the surface composites were fabricated by incorporating molybdenum disulfide ( MoS2) and graphite (Gr) as reinforcement on the surface of aluminum alloy (Al 1120) through the friction stir process (FSP) at tool rotational speed of 1400 rpm and tool feed rate of 40 mm/min process parameters using square profile FSP tool. The tribological behaviors of fabricated surface composites were calculated by using a pin on disk tribometer. It was observed that the wear resistance of surface composites improved as compared to the matrix material.

The electronic and optical characteristics of molybdenum disulphide (MoS2) film significantly vary with its thickness, and thus a rapid and accurate estimation of the number of MoS2 layers is critical in practical applications as well as in basic researches. Various existing methods are currently available for the thickness measurement, but each has drawbacks. Transmission electron microscopy allows actual counting of the MoS2 layers, but is very complicated and requires destructive processing of the sample to the point where it will no longer be useable after characterization. Atomic force microscopy, particularly when operated in the tapping mode, is likewise time-consuming and suffers from certain anomalies caused by an improperly chosen set point, that is, free amplitude in air for the cantilever. Raman spectroscopy is a quick characterization method for identifying one to a few layers, but the laser irradiation causes structural degradation of the MoS2. Optical microscopy works only when MoS2 is on a silicon substrate covered with SiO2 of 100~300 nm thickness. The last two optical methods are commonly limited in resolution to the micrometer range due to the diffraction limits of light. We report here a method of measuring the distribution of the number of MoS2 layers using a low voltage field emission electron microscope with acceleration voltages no greater than 1 kV. We found a linear relationship between the FESEM contrast and the number of MoS2 layers. This method can be used to characterize MoS2 samples at nanometer-level spatial resolution, which is below the limits of other methods.

The connecting rod is one of the most important parts in automotive engines, transforming the reciprocalmotion of a piston generated by internal combustion into the rotational motion of a crankshaft. Recent advances in highperformance automobile engines demand corresponding technological breakthroughs in the materials for engine parts. Inthe present research, the powder metallurgy (P/M) process was used to replace conventional quenching and/or temperingprocesses for mass production and ultimately for more cost-efficient manufacturing of high strength connecting rods.The development of P/M alloy powder was undertaken not only to achieve the improvement in mechanical properties,but also to enhance the machinability of the P/M processed connecting rods. Specifically MoS2 powders were added aslubricants to non-normalizing Fe-Cr-Mn-V-C alloy powder to improve the post-sintering machinability. The effects ofMoS2 addition on the microstructure, mechanical properties, and machining characteristics were investigated.