Abstract
Layered transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) represent a diverse, emerging source of two-dimensional (2D) nanostructures with broad application in optoelectronics and energy. Chemical functionalization has evolved into a powerful tool to tailor properties of these 2D TMDs; however, functionalization strategies have been largely limited to the metallic 1T-polytype. The work herein illustrates that 2H-semiconducting liquid-exfoliated tungsten disulfide (WS2) undergoes a spontaneous redox reaction with gold (III) chloride (AuCl3). Au nanoparticles (NPs) predominantly nucleate at nanosheet edges with tuneable NP size and density. AuCl3 is preferentially reduced on multi-layer WS2 and resulting large Au aggregates are easily separated from the colloidal dispersion by simple centrifugation. This process may be exploited to enrich the dispersions in laterally large, monolayer nanosheets. It is proposed that thiol groups at edges and defects sides reduce the AuCl3 to Au0 and are in turn oxidized to disulfides. Optical emission, i.e. photoluminescence, of the monolayers remained pristine, while the electrocatalytic activity towards the hydrogen evolution reaction is significantly improved. Taken together, these improvements in functionalization, fabrication, and catalytic activity represent an important advance in the study of these emerging 2D nanostructures.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Q.H. Wang et al. Nat. Nanotechnol. 7, 699–712 (2012).
T.F. Jaramillo et al. Science 317, 100–102 (2007).
V. Nicolosi et al. Science 340, 1226419 (2013).
J.R. Dunklin et al. npj 2D Mater. Appl. 1, 43 (2018).
C. Backes et al. Nat. Commun. 5, 4576 (2014)
C. Backes et al. ACS Nano 10, 1589–1601 (2016).
Z. Gholamvand, et al. Chem. Mater. 28, 2641–2651 (2016).
Z. Gholamvand, et al. Nanoscale 8, 5737–5749 (2016).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Dunklin, J.R., Lafargue, P., Higgins, T.M. et al. Monolayer-enriched production of Au-decorated WS2 Nanosheets via Defect Engineering. MRS Advances 3, 2435–2440 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1557/adv.2018.350
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/adv.2018.350