Preparation and characterization of polythiophene/molybdenum disulfide intercalation material

Utilizing the solvothermal synthesis technique, lithium intercalated molybdenum disulfide Li_xMoS₂ was expediently obtained, which was allowed to react with water to the formation of single-molecule-layer suspension. The intercalation of polythiophene into MoS₂ was achieved by means of in situ polymerization of the intercalated monomers. The nanocomposite was characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, thermogravimertic analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. It was revealed that the intercalated polymer chain favors the monolayer arrangement with the thiophene rings lying parallel with the host layers. The optimum conditions were explored to prepare the single-phase product with a composition of Li_0.12(PTP)_0.54MoS₂. The nanocomposite exhibits enhanced electrical conductivity in the order of 10⁻² S cm⁻¹ at ambient temperature, resulted from the incorporation of the electronically conductive polythiophene between the semiconducting host layers and the coupling between the guest conjugated π-orbits and the host layers.