High-Yield Production of MoS₂ and WS₂ Quantum Sheets from Their Bulk Materials

Abstract

Mass production of two-dimensional quantum sheets (2D QSs) is highly desired to fully exploit their properties. Herein, we present a general strategy for the high-yield production of molybdenum disulfide (MoS) and tungsten disulfide (WS) QSs by a sequential combination of salt-assisted ball-milling and sonication-assisted solvent exfoliation of their bulk materials. Such a strategy enables reproducible production of intrinsic and defect-free MoS and WS QSs with exceedingly high yields of 25.5 and 20.1 wt %, respectively. By precipitation-redispersion treatment, the QSs can be redispersed in a wide range of solvents with redispersion concentration up to 20 mg/mL or even higher. Remarkable nonlinear absorption saturation is demonstrated in the QSs-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) hybrid thin film with loading content of merely 0.1 wt %. Our method provides an avenue toward mass production and full exploration of 2D QSs.

Controlled Production of MoS2 Full‐Scale Nanosheets and Their Strong Size Effects

“…Such transformation of the characteristic peaks was driven by the quantum confinement and prominent edge effects. [ 16,28,31 ] Figure 3e presented the Raman spectra of MoS 2 bulk materials and NSs with varying sizes. For bulk MoS 2 , both peaks of E 1 2g mode at 380.9 cm −1 and A 1g mode at 406.6 cm −1 were observed.…”

Tailoring the physicochemical properties of solution-processed transition metal dichalcogenides via molecular approaches

“…More specifically, shear and compression forces arise during the exfoliation steps by means of ball milling and shearing methods, fostering the separation of thinner systems. 67,68,69 Additionally, ultrasonication approaches can also be employed to guarantee an energetic agitation of the system and the transfer of energy from the solution to the layered structure. In particular, the ultrasound waves propagate within the solvent causing alternating high-and low-pressure cycles that promote the exfoliation because of two main forms of energy inputs, namely vibration and cavitation forces.…”

Novel Exfoliation of High-Quality 2H-MoS2 Nanoflakes for Solution-Processed Photodetector

“…To date, several methods, have been introduced to obtain few-layered TMDs, including mechanical exfoliation [15], liquid phase exfoliation [16][17][18][19], alkali ion intercalation [20,21], chemical vapor deposition (CVD) [22,23], and ball milling [24]. Each technique has pros and cons.…”

“…CVD can synthesize wafer-sized monolayer MoS 2 , but it requires transfer processes and a high temperature [22]. Ball milling is suitable for mass production, but it destroys or disorders the crystal structure, generating a very large number of defects [24]. Therefore, developing a large-scale and simple way to synthesize high-quality and highly soluble MoS 2 flakes remains a significant challenge.…”