Enhancing the colloidal stability and surface functionality of molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) nanosheets with...

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) nanosheets are gaining increasing attention due to their attractive properties and myriads of potential applications. However, challenges in the enhancement of their colloidal stability and surface functionality still remain and significantly restrict their practical applications. Herein, we present a viable approach to functionalize MoS₂ nanosheets with multihydroxy hyperbranched polyglycerol (HPG) shell by surface-initiated ring-opening polymerization technique. The grafting of HPG from the surface of MoS₂ nanosheet yielded MoS₂-g-HPG nanohybrid with excellent water dispersibility, good biocompatibility, and greatly enhanced colloidal stability against pH change, ionic strength variation and long-term storage. The MoS₂-g-HPG also exhibited excellent light-to-heat conversion capability for in vitro photothermal therapy application. Meanwhile, the MoS₂-g-HPG showed favorable surface functionality owing to its numerous surface hydroxyl groups, as demonstrated by the conjugation of functional molecules such as fluorescent dye rhodamine B. As such, this paper opens up new opportunities to empower MoS₂ nanosheets and other two-dimensional inorganic nanosheets with desired properties for various applications.