Templated synthesis of plate-like MoS2 nanosheets assisted with HNTs and their tribological performance in oil

Two-dimensional MoS2 nanosheets were synthesized by using halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) as template under the hydrothermal synthesis. The structure and morphology of the as-synthesized MoS2 nanosheets were determined by a series of characterizations. The results showed that the as-synthesized MoS(2 )nanosheets were of the plate-like structure with about five layers, and the basal spacing was about 0.63 nm. It was demonstrated that HNTs played a crucial template role in the formation of the plate-like MoS2 nanosheets. The formation mechanism was proposed. Furthermore, the tribological performance of the as-prepared MoS2 nanosheets in oil was intensively examined on the ball-on-ball wear tester. The testing results verified that the as-prepared MoS2 nanosheets as additive could significantly improve the friction performance of oil, which exhibited the good antifriction, antiwear, and load-carrying properties.