Designing MoS 2 nanocatalysts with high exposure of active edge sites for anthracene hydrogenation reaction

Designing MoS2 nanocatalysts with rich active edge sites by engineering of nanostructures is an effective strategy to enhance their catalytic activity. MoS2 nanoflowers with short slab of 5-10 nm, 3-5 stacking layers and expanded basal spacing of 0.98 nm were synthesized via a one-pot solvothermal synthesis method using high boiling point and viscosity ethylene glycol as solvent, and maximized the exposure of active edge sites. For the catalytic anthracene hydrogenation reaction in slurry-phase reactor, the hydrogenation percentage and selectivity to deep hydrogenation product of the MoS2 nanoflowers are respectively 3.2 times and 31.2 times as high as those of commercial MoS2.