New Reactive Force Field for Simulations of MoS2 Crystallization

A Multiple-Fidelity Method for Accurate Simulation of MoS2 Properties Using JAX-ReaxFF and Neural Network Potentials

Reactive force field (ReaxFF) is a commonly used force field for modeling chemical reactions at the atomic level. Recently, JAX-ReaxFF, combined with automatic differentiation, has been used to efficiently parametrize ReaxFF. However, its analytical formula may lead to inaccurate predictions. While neural network-based potentials (NNPs) trained on density functional theory-labeled data offer a more accurate method, it requires a large amount of training data to be trained from scratch. To overcome these issues, we present a multiple-fidelity method that combines JAX-ReaxFF and NNP and apply the method on MoS2, a promising two-dimensional semiconductor for flexible electronics. By incorporating implicit prior physical information, ReaxFF can serve as a cost-effective way to generate pretraining data, facilitating more accurate simulations of MoS2. Moreover, in the Mo-S-H system, the pretraining strategy can reduce root-mean-square errors of energy by 20%. This approach can be extended to a wide variety of material systems, accelerating their computational research.

Spontaneous formation of MoS2 nanoscrolls from flat monolayers with sulfur vacancies: a molecular dynamics investigation

The unique physical properties exhibited by one-dimensional nanoscrolls assembled from nanosheets have propelled them into the spotlight of two-dimensional materials research. However, the self-scrolling mechanism of transition metal dichalcogenides has not been unveiled with an appropriate theoretical approach. In this paper, we systematically investigate the spontaneous formation of MoS2 nanoscrolls from flat monolayers by molecular dynamics simulations based on a reactive force field. The sulfur vacancies on one side break the atomic symmetry and the reconstruction acts as the driving force for the curling of the flat nanoribbon. If sulfur vacancies are arranged in a line, clear bending angles of the nanoribbon can be obtained and the angle relies on the direction of the line vacancy. With random sulfur vacancies on the top, spontaneous curling and a time-dependent scrolling process of the nanoribbon can be observed. The interplay between dangling bonds and van der Waals (vdW) interactions plays a pivotal role in the formation process of MoS2 nanoscrolls. With an increasing density of sulfur vacancies, the curvature of the nanoscrolls increases. Meanwhile, the scrolling rate accelerates and the time required for the formation of vdW structures decreases. These results provide theoretical insights into the fabrication of nanoscrolls and pave avenues for tailoring nanoscrolls with different morphologies.

Friend or Foe? Revising the Role of Oxygen in the Tribological Performance of Solid Lubricant MoS2

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) is a solid lubricant used in various forms, such as a dry lubricant by itself or as a component of a more complex coating. In both these forms, the effect of oxygen contamination on the sliding properties of the MoS₂ coatings is traditionally considered detrimental, resulting in expensive technological processes to produce pure MoS₂. Here, it is shown that the high oxygen content does not necessarily hinder the solid lubricant properties and may even result in a lower friction and wear when compared to pure MoS₂. Mo-S-O coatings were fabricated by unbalanced magnetron sputtering and tribologically tested under vacuum conditions. Oxygen caused amorphization of the as-deposited coatings but did not prevent the triboactivated formation of an ultra-thin crystalline MoS₂ tribolayer with the incorporated oxygen. Such an imperfect tribolayer was found to reduce the coefficient of friction to 0.02, a value lower than that of pure MoS₂. Moreover, owing to the higher density and hardness of oxygen-containing films, the wear rate was also found to be lower. Molecular dynamics simulations performed using a newly developed Mo-S-O force field confirmed that such an imperfect tribolayer can mitigate friction in a manner comparable to that of MoS₂.