Boosting the Catalytic Performance of AuAg Alloyed Nanoparticles Grafted on MoS(2) Nanoflowers through NIR-Induced Light-to-Thermal Energy Conversion

MoS(2) nanoflowers (NFs) obtained through a hydrothermal approach were used as the substrate for the deposition of tiny spherical bimetallic AuAg or monometallic Au nanoparticles (NPs), leading to novel photothermal-assisted catalysts with different hybrid nanostructures and showing improved catalytic performance under NIR laser irradiation. The catalytic reduction of pollutant 4-nitrophenol (4-NF) to the valuable product 4-aminophenol (4-AF) was evaluated. The hydrothermal synthesis of MoS(2) NFs provides a material with a broad absorption in the Vis-NIR region of the electromagnetic spectrum. The in situ grafting of alloyed AuAg and Au NPs of very small size (2.0–2.5 nm) was possible through the decomposition of organometallic complexes [Au(2)Ag(2)(C(6)F(5))(4)(OEt(2))(2)](n) and [Au(C(6)F(5))(tht)] (tht = tetrahydrothiophene) using triisopropilsilane as reducing agent, leading to nanohybrids 1–4. The new nanohybrid materials display photothermal properties arising from NIR light absorption of the MoS(2) NFs component. The AuAg-MoS(2) nanohybrid 2 showed excellent photothermal-assisted catalytic activity for the reduction of 4-NF, which is better than that of the monometallic Au-MoS(2) nanohybrid 4. The obtained nanohybrids were characterised by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), High Angle Annular Dark Field—Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy—Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (HAADF-STEM-EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy.