Solid Phase Exfoliation for Producing Dispersible Transition Metal Dichalcogenides Nanosheets

Abstract

2D transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) nanosheets with unique electronic structure and vibrationally physical and chemical properties have triggered tremendous interest both in fundamental and applied research. In order to fully exploit the potential of these remarkable materials, general and efficient exfoliation methods for producing versatile kinds of TMDs are highly desired. Here, a universal solid phase exfoliation (SPE) strategy is developed with high productivity, feasibility, and repeatability for scalably preparing 18 kinds of MX2 (M = Mo, W, V, Nb, Ta, Ti, X = Te, Se, S) nanosheets from corresponding cracked-induced bulk crystals (C-MX2). By directly using C-MX2 as the starting raw materials prepared by molten-salt cracking synthesis, it is more efficient and time-saving to produce thin nanosheets due to the loose interaction between layers compared with densely layered MX2 (D-MX2). Notably, the exfoliated TMD nanosheets can be easily processed as powders, water dispersions, and thin films, offering exciting opportunities for a wide range of applications from electronics to energy storage.