Rational construction of Co-promoted 1T-MoS₂ nanoflowers towards high-efficiency 4-nitrophenol reduction

Developing efficient and cost-effective non-noble metal catalysts for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) to 4-aminophenol (4-AP) is of great importance. Herein, Co-promoted 1T-MoS₂ nanoflowers were synthesized via a one-step hydrothermal method. The influence of Co content on the structure and catalytic performance of 1T-MoS₂ was studied in detail. It was found that Co doping not only enhanced the electronic conductivity but also increased the hydrogen adsorption ability of 1T-MoS₂. Meanwhile, the highest activity was achieved due to the synergy effect of Co-Mo-S and CoS₂ active phase. In the catalytic reduction of 4-NP, the reaction rate constant of Co/1T-MoS₂-0.3 was as high as 0.908 min^-1 and the catalyst exhibited excellent stability after recycling five times. The present work provides new insights for the rational design of highly efficient metal-doped MoS₂ catalysts towards 4-NP reduction in wastewater.