Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Optical visualization of MoS2 grain boundaries by gold deposition

金沉积法使MoS2晶界光学可视化

  • Articles
  • Published:
Science China Materials Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The grain boundaries (GBs) in continuous films or domains of MoS2 are vital to its optical and electrical properties. Almost all previous approaches for GBs visualization are based on microscopy and spectroscopy and only effective for domains with less than several micrometers in size. Here we report a simple method for the visualization of large GBs in MoS2 surface by optical microscope. Gold was deposited on the MoS2 grown by chemical vapor deposition, and then the GBs could be observed by optical microscope. Upon gold deposition on MoS2, the entire GBs of large-area MoS2 were clearly visualized using this method. To verify the result, the GBs were also characterized via scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. It showed the small particles of gold were clustered together on GBs, which had a larger binding energy than the inner regions. The method is universal and allows for the nondestructive identification of the GBs in any two dimensional materials with large area.

摘要

近年来, 二硫化钼因其独特的光学和电学性能引起了人们的广泛关注. CVD法生长的MoS2上不可避免的存在很多晶界, 对其电学及光电性能具有很大影响. 以往观察晶界多采用电子显微镜和光谱, 且只能对几微米范围进行观察. 本文介绍了一种简单的沉积金的方法, 使MoS2表面的晶界在光学显微镜下可见. 与晶面内相比晶界处具有更高的结合能, 更有利于金颗粒的聚集, 沉积后退火使得金颗粒进一步变大, 足以在光学显微镜下可见. 用这种方法大面积MoS2晶界的始末端皆可以清楚地观察到. SEM, TEM, AFM的研究结果证实了以上方法的准确性. 该方法可用于任何大面积二维材料晶界的表征, 具有很强的普适性.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Fiori G, Bonaccorso F, Iannaccone G, et al. Electronics based on two-dimensional materials. Nat Nanotechnol, 2014, 9: 768–779

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Liu J, Cao H, Jiang B, et al. Newborn 2D materials for flexible energy conversion and storage. Sci China Mater, 2016, 59: 459–474

    Google Scholar 

  3. Cui J, Xu S, Wang L. Monolayer MoS2 decorated Cu7S4-Au nanocatalysts for sensitive and selective detection of mercury(II). Sci China Mater, 2017, 60: 352–360

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Kim IS, Sangwan VK, Jariwala D, et al. Influence of stoichiometry on the optical and electrical properties of chemical vapor deposition derived MoS2. ACS Nano, 2014, 8: 10551–10558

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Wu Y, Wang D, Li Y. Understanding of the major reactions in solution synthesis of functional nanomaterials. Sci China Mater, 2016, 59: 938–996

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Yang X, Li Q, Hu G, et al. Controlled synthesis of high-quality crystals of monolayer MoS2 for nanoelectronic device application. Sci China Mater, 2016, 59: 182–190

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Meng R, Jiang J, Liang Q, et al. Design of graphene-like gallium nitride and WS2/WSe2 nanocomposites for photocatalyst applications. Sci China Mater, 2016, 59: 1027–1036

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Lehockey EM, Brennenstuhl AM, Thompson I. On the relationship between grain boundary connectivity, coincident site lattice boundaries, and intergranular stress corrosion cracking. Corrosion Sci, 2004, 46: 2383–2404

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Zheng W, Feng W, Zhang X, et al. Anisotropic growth of nonlayered CdS on MoS2 monolayer for functional vertical heterostructures. Adv Funct Mater, 2016, 26: 2648–2654

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Feng W, Zheng W, Cao W, et al. Back gated multilayer InSe transistors with enhanced carrier mobilities via the suppression of carrier scattering from a dielectric interface. Adv Mater, 2014, 26: 6587–6593

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Koepke JC, Wood JD, Estrada D, et al. Atomic-scale evidence for potential barriers and strong carrier scattering at graphene grain boundaries: a scanning tunneling microscopy study. ACS Nano, 2013, 7: 75–86

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Huang PY, Ruiz-Vargas CS,van der Zande AM,et al. Grains and grain boundaries in single-layer graphene atomic patchwork quilts. Nature, 2011, 469: 389–392

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Duong DL, Han GH, Lee SM,et al. Probing graphene grain boundaries with optical microscopy. Nature, 2012, 490: 235–239

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Yu SU, Cho Y, Park B, et al. Fast benchtop visualization of graphene grain boundaries using adhesive properties of defects. Chem Commun, 2013, 49: 5474–5476

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Cassereau L, DuFort CC, Weaver VM. Laying down the tracks. Nat Mater, 2012, 11: 490–492

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Radisavljevic B, Radenovic A, Brivio J, et al. Single-layer MoS2 transistors. Nat Nanotechnol, 2011, 6: 147–150

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Schmidt H, Wang S, Chu L, et al. Transport properties of monolayer MoS2 grown by chemical vapor deposition. Nano Lett, 2014, 14: 1909–1913

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Zhang J, Yu H, Chen W, et al. Scalable growth of high-quality polycrystalline MoS2 monolayers on SiO2 with tunable grain sizes. ACS Nano, 2014, 8: 6024–6030

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Lee YH, Zhang XQ, Zhang W, et al. Synthesis of large-area MoS2 atomic layers with chemical vapor deposition. Adv Mater, 2012, 24: 2320–2325

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Jeon J, Jang SK, Jeon SM,et al. Layer-controlled CVD growth of large-area two-dimensional MoS2 films. Nanoscale, 2015, 7: 1688–1695

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Yin Z, Li H, Li H, et al. Single-layer MoS2 phototransistors. ACS Nano, 2012, 6: 74–80

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Li H, Zhang Q, Yap CCR, et al. From bulk to monolayer MoS2: evolution of raman scattering. Adv Funct Mater, 2012, 22: 1385–1390

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Windom BC, Sawyer WG, Hahn DW. A Raman spectroscopic study of MoS2 and MoO3: applications to tribological systems. Tribol Lett, 2011, 42: 301–310

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Holm EA, Olmsted DL, Foiles SM. Comparing grain boundary energies in face-centered cubic metals: Al, Au, Cu and Ni. Scripta Mater, 2010, 63: 905–908

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Alexander KC, Schuh CA. Exploring grain boundary energy landscapes with the activation-relaxation technique. Scripta Mater, 2013, 68: 937–940

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Uesugi T, Higashi K. First-principles calculation of grain boundary energy and grain boundary excess free volume in aluminum: role of grain boundary elastic energy. J Mater Sci, 2011, 46: 4199–4205

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Zou X, Liu Y, Yakobson BI. Predicting dislocations and grain boundaries in two-dimensional metal-disulfides from the first principles. Nano Lett, 2012, 13: 253–258

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Gunlycke D, Vasudevan S, White CT. Confinement, transport gap, and valley polarization in graphene from two parallel decorated line defects. Nano Lett, 2013, 13: 259–263

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDB12010000), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21573253).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China

    Lulu Sun  (孙璐璐) & Jian Zheng  (郑健)

  2. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Qingdao University of Science & Technology, Qingdao, 266042, China

    Lulu Sun  (孙璐璐)

Authors
  1. Lulu Sun  (孙璐璐)
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jian Zheng  (郑健)
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jian Zheng  (郑健).

Additional information

Lulu Sun is now a master candidate at the School of Materials Science and Engineering, Qingdao University of Science & Technology. She is jointly supervised by Prof. Jian Zheng at the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Her research focuses on the synthesis and characterization of 2D materials.

Jian Zheng received his PhD degree in 2011 from the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Then he worked as a Postdoc at National University of Singapore (2011–2015). Now he is a professor at the Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences. His current researches focus on the growth and characterization of 2D materials, and their applications in nano-electronics.

Electronic supplementary material

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Sun, L., Zheng, J. Optical visualization of MoS2 grain boundaries by gold deposition. Sci. China Mater. 61, 1154–1158 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40843-018-9233-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40843-018-9233-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation