Efficient exfoliation of molybdenum disulphide nanosheets by a high-pressure homogeniser

A facile and fast approach is demonstrated for the production of well-dispersed molybdenum disulphide (MoS₂) nanosheets through the exfoliation of MoS₂ bulk using a high-pressure homogeniser in pure solvents. The MoS₂ bulk was infiltrated in dimethylformamide for several hours, then homogenised at 100 MPa for 10 min, followed by centrifugation to obtain few-layer MoS₂ nanosheets. The structure and morphology of the nanosheets were examined by atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The bulk also had an exfoliation in water and alcohol, but the suspension was unstable. It can be concluded that the energy as well as solvents plays a critical role in the liquid-phase exfoliation. These results provide a physical perspective for understanding the exfoliation of other layered materials in aqueous and ethanol dispersions.