Molybdenum disulfide
![](/Images/godic/202501/28/MoS2chips0149.jpg")
![](/Images/godic/202501/28/Molybdenite-3D-balls0149.png")
![Molybdenite](/Images/godic/202501/28/Molly_Hill_molybdenite0149.JPG")
![Electron microscopy of antisites (a, Mo substitutes for S) and vacancies (b, missing S atoms) in a monolayer of molybdenum disulfide. Scale bar: 1 nm.[6]](/Images/godic/202501/28/MoS2_antisites&vacancies0149.jpg")
Molybdenum disulfide is the inorganic compound with the formula MoS
2.
The compound is classified as a metal dichalcogenide. It is a silvery black solid that occurs as the mineral molybdenite, the principal ore for molybdenum. MoS
2 is relatively unreactive. It is unaffected by dilute acids and oxygen. In appearance and feel, molybdenum disulfide is similar to graphite. It is widely used as a solid lubricant because of its low friction properties and robustness. Bulk MoS
2 is a diamagnetic, indirect bandgap semiconductor similar to silicon, with a bandgap of 1.23 eV.