Confined growth of molybdenum disulfide in cellulose microspheres with highly porous structure for environmental applications

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) stands out as a promising candidate in environmental applications. However, the inherent stacking and nanosized features remain challenges in the high performance of such materials. In this work, we present a space-confined strategy to synthesize nanosized MoS 2 within nanofibrous cellulose microspheres (NCMs). The NCMs matrix is well-designed and considered as an excellent scaffold with a hierarchical porous structure, mechanical stability and a considerable specific surface area of 212.06 m 2 /g, and the recyclability and dispersibility of nanosized MoS 2 can be improved. The prepared MoS 2 /NCMs exhibit excellent performance in the removal of various contaminants, including Pb 2+ (adsorption capacity of 327.68 mg/g, fast kinetics within 40 min), organic dyes (80% removal within 100 min for methylene blue and Congo red), doxycycline, p-nitrophenol, and the recyclability of MoS 2 /NCMs is also confirmed. Consequently, this study presents a well-designed confinement synthesis of MoS 2 , and provides a promising candidate for environmentally-sustainable treatment.