Microstructural investigation of hexagonal multilayered MoS2 nanoplatelets and their exposed edges role in gas-sensing

MoS2 has attracted much attention owing to its excellent electrical, optical and other physical and chemical properties. Here we report, hexagonal MoS2 nanoplatelets growth on vertically aligned CNT substrates produced by... [ view full abstract ]

MoS2 has attracted much attention owing to its excellent electrical, optical and other physical and chemical properties. Here we report, hexagonal MoS2 nanoplatelets growth on vertically aligned CNT substrates produced by chemical vapor deposition technique. Selective area synthesis of the nanoplatelets was achieved by pre-patterning of the source material for MoS2 growth. Surface morphologies and crystalline characteristics of the deposited MoS2 were examined by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and, UV-Visible spectroscopy. The MoS2 nanoplatelets with excellent crystalline quality exhibit hexagonal platelets-like morphologies, with the thickness and the length were measured to be around 20 - 30 nm and several hundred nanometers, respectively. The hexagonal MoS2 nanoplatelets with exposed edges shows selective and sensitive NO2 and NH3 detection. In future, the as-produced material could be potentially used for gas sensing applications.