Confinement Synthesis of 1T Molybdenum Disulfide at the Interlayer of Montmorillonite and the Adsorption Properties of Heavy Metal Ions

1T molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) has great potential for heavy metal adsorption in sewage. However, due to the difficulty of synthesis and poor stability, the research and application of 1T MoS₂ adsorption materials are difficult to achieve breakthroughs. In this paper, the direct synthesis of 1T MoS₂ in the interlayer of the rich and cheap natural layered mineral montmorillonite is realized by nano confinement effect, and the adsorbent of montmorillite−1T MoS₂ interlayer composite material (M−S) is constructed. By means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X−ray diffractometer (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, X−ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), the successful synthesis of 1T MoS₂ in M−S has been proved, and the content of 1T phase is up to 92.5%. The prepared adsorbent materials were utilized for the efficient removal of Cd²⁺ from aqueous solutions, and the impacts of pH value, adsorption time, and initial Cd²⁺ concentration on the adsorption process were systematically investigated. The findings revealed that optimal adsorption performance was achieved at a pH value of 5.0, an adsorption time of 5 minutes, and an initial Cd²⁺ concentration of 250 mg/L. In conjunction with theoretical simulation, the optimal adsorption capacity was determined to be 43.9 mg/g, in accordance with the quasi−second−order kinetic equation and Langmuir isothermal adsorption model. This study presents a novel approach for synthesizing 1T phase molybdenum disulfide, and also offers valuable insights for the development of efficient heavy metal adsorbents.