Highly Transparent Wafer-Scale Synthesis of Crystalline WS2 Nanoparticle Thin Film for Photodetector and Humidity-Sensing Applications

Light-Modulated Humidity Sensing in Spiropyran Functionalized MoS2 Transistors

The optically tuneable nature of hybrid organic/inorganic heterostructures tailored by interfacing photochromic molecules with 2D semiconductors (2DSs) can be exploited to endow multi-responsiveness to the exceptional physical properties of 2DSs. In this study, a spiropyran-molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) light-switchable bi-functional field-effect transistor is realized. The spiropyran-merocyanine reversible photo-isomerization has been employed to remotely control both the electron transport and wettability of the hybrid structure. This manipulation is instrumental for tuning the sensitivity in humidity sensing. The hybrid organic/inorganic heterostructure is subjected to humidity testing, demonstrating its ability to accurately monitor relative humidity (RH) across a range of 10%-75%. The electrical output shows good sensitivity of 1.0% · (%) RH-1. The light-controlled modulation of the sensitivity in chemical sensors can significantly improve their selectivity, versatility, and overall performance in chemical sensing.

Large-Area Epitaxial Growth of Transition Metal Dichalcogenides

Over the past decade, research on atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) has expanded rapidly due to their unique properties such as high carrier mobility, significant excitonic effects, and strong spin-orbit couplings. Considerable attention from both scientific and industrial communities has fully fueled the exploration of TMDs toward practical applications. Proposed scenarios, such as ultrascaled transistors, on-chip photonics, flexible optoelectronics, and efficient electrocatalysis, critically depend on the scalable production of large-area TMD films. Correspondingly, substantial efforts have been devoted to refining the synthesizing methodology of 2D TMDs, which brought the field to a stage that necessitates a comprehensive summary. In this Review, we give a systematic overview of the basic designs and significant advancements in large-area epitaxial growth of TMDs. We first sketch out their fundamental structures and diverse properties. Subsequent discussion encompasses the state-of-the-art wafer-scale production designs, single-crystal epitaxial strategies, and techniques for structure modification and postprocessing. Additionally, we highlight the future directions for application-driven material fabrication and persistent challenges, aiming to inspire ongoing exploration along a revolution in the modern semiconductor industry.

Strain engineering of the mechanical properties of two-dimensional WS2

Tuning the physical properties of two-dimensional (2D) materials is crucial for their successful integration into advanced applications. While strain engineering demonstrated an efficient means to modulate the electrical and optical properties of 2D materials, tuning their mechanical properties has not been carried out. Here we applied compressive strain through the buckling metrology to 2D tungsten disulfide (WS2), which demonstrated mechanical softening manifested by the reduction of its effective Young's modulus. Raman modes analysis of the strained WS2 also showed strain-dependent vibrational modes softening and revealed its Grüneisen parameter (γ E2g = 0.29) and its shear deformation potential (β E2g = 0.56) - both are similar to the values of other 2D materials. In parallel, we conducted a molecular dynamic simulation that confirmed the validity of continuum mechanics modeling in the nanoscale and revealed that due to sequential atomic-scale buckling events in compressed WS2, it shows a mechanical softening. Therefore, by tuning the mechanical properties of WS2 we shed light on its fundamental physics, thus making it an attractive candidate material for high-end applications, such as tunable sensors and flexible optoelectronic devices.

Preparation and Mechanism Analysis of High-Performance Humidity Sensor Based on Eu-Doped TiO2

TiO2 is a typical semiconductor material, and it has attracted much attention in the field of humidity sensors. Doping is an efficient way to enhance the humidity response of TiO2. Eu-doped TiO2 material was investigated in both theoretical simulations and experiments. In a simulation based on density functional theory, a doped Eu atom can increase the performance of humidity sensors by producing more oxygen vacancies than undoped TiO2. In these experiments, Eu-doped TiO2 nanorods were prepared by hydrothermal synthesis, and the results also confirm the theoretical prediction. When the doping mole ratio is 5 mol%, the response of the humidity sensor reaches 23,997.0, the wet hysteresis is 2.3% and the response/recovery time is 3/13.1 s. This study not only improves the basis for preparation of high-performance TiO2 humidity sensors, but also fills the research gap on rare earth Eu-doped TiO2 as a humidity-sensitive material.

Quantum enhanced efficiency and spectral performance of paper-based flexible photodetectors functionalized with two dimensional materials

Flexible photodetectors (PDs) have exotic significance in recent years due to their enchanting potential in future optoelectronics. Moreover, paper-based fabricated PDs with outstanding flexibility unlock new avenues for future wearable electronics. Such PD has captured scientific interest for its efficient photoresponse properties due to the extraordinary assets like significant absorptive efficiency, surface morphology, material composition, affordability, bendability, and biodegradability. Quantum-confined materials harness the unique quantum-enhanced properties and hold immense promise for advancing both fundamental scientific understanding and practical implication. Two-dimensional (2D) materials as quantum materials have been one of the most extensively researched materials owing to their significant light absorption efficiency, increased carrier mobility, and tunable band gaps. In addition, 2D heterostructures can trap charge carriers at their interfaces, leading increase in photocurrent and photoconductivity. This review represents comprehensive discussion on recent developments in such PDs functionalized by 2D materials, highlighting charge transfer mechanism at their interface. This review thoroughly explains the mechanism behind the enhanced performance of quantum materials across a spectrum of figure of merits including external quantum efficiency, detectivity, spectral responsivity, optical gain, response time, and noise equivalent power. The present review studies the intricate mechanisms that reinforce these improvements, shedding light on the intricacies of quantum materials and their significant capabilities. Moreover, a detailed analysis of the technical applicability of paper-based PDs has been discussed with challenges and future trends, providing comprehensive insights into their practical usage in the field of future wearable and portable electronic technologies.

Highly Sensitive Broadband Polarized Photodetector Based on the As0.6P0.4/WSe2 Heterostructure toward Imaging and Optical Communication Application

Polarization-sensitive photodetectors based on two-dimensional anisotropic materials still encounter the issues of narrow spectral coverage and low polarization sensitivity. To address these obstacles, anisotropic As0.6P0.4 with a narrow band gap has been integrated with WSe2 to construct a type-II heterostructure, realizing a high-performance polarization-sensitive photodetector with broad spectral range from 405 to 2200 nm. By operating in photovoltaic mode at zero bias, the device shows a very low dark current of ∼0.02 picoampere, high responsivity of 492 m A/W, and high photoswitching ratio of 6 × 104, yielding a high specific detectivity of 1.4 × 1012 Jones. The strong in-plane anisotropy of As0.6P0.4 endows the device with a capability of polarization-sensitive detection with a high polarization ratio of 6.85 under a bias voltage. As an image sensor and signal receiver, the device shows great potential in imaging and optical communication applications. This work develops an anisotropic vdW heterojunction to realize polarization-sensitive photodetectors with wide spectral coverage, fast response, and high sensitivity, providing a new candidate for potential applications of polarization-resolved electronics and photonics.

Water-Induced Separation of Polymers from High Nanoparticle-Content Nanocomposite Films

Polymer nanocomposites with high loadings of nanoparticles (NPs) exhibit exceptional mechanical and transport properties. Separation of polymers and NPs from such nanocomposites is a critical step in enabling the recycling of these components and reducing the potential environmental hazards that can be caused by the accumulation of nanocomposite wastes in landfills. However, the separation typically requires the use of organic solvents or energy-intensive processes. Using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-infiltrated SiO2 NP films, we demonstrate that the polymers can be separated from the SiO2 NP packings when these nanocomposites are exposed to high humidity and water. The findings indicate that the charge state of the NPs plays a significant role in the propensity of water to undergo capillary condensation within the PDMS-filled interstitial pores. We also show that the size of NPs has a crucial impact on the kinetics and extent of PDMS expulsion, illustrating the importance of capillary forces in inducing PDMS expulsion. We demonstrate that the separated polymer can be collected and reused to produce a new nanocomposite film. The work provides insightful guidelines on how to design and fabricate end-of-life recyclable high-performance nanocomposites.

Fabrication of Micro-Cantilever Sensor Based on Clay Minerals for Humidity Detection

In this paper, novel humidity sensors based on montmorillonite, kaolinite, and composite films coated on micro-cantilevers were prepared to measure the relative humidity (RH) values by the deflection of a micro-cantilever (MC) at room temperature. The humidity-sensing properties, such as response and recovery, sensitivity, repeatability, humidity hysteresis, and long-term stability, were investigated in the range of working humidity (10-80% RH). The humidity response in the close humidity range of 10% RH to 80% RH revealed a linear increase in water absorption of montmorillonite, kaolinite, and montmorillonite/kaolinite mixed dispersant (1:1) as a function of RH with linear correlation factors between the humidity change and deflection estimated to be 0.994, 0.991, and 0.946, respectively. Montmorillonite's sensitivity was better than kaolinite's, with the mixed-clay mineral film's response falling somewhere in between. This research provides a feasible and effective approach to constructing high-performance MC humidity sensors that can be operated at room temperature based on clay minerals.

Photoconduction Properties in Tungsten Disulfide Nanostructures

We reported the photoconduction properties of tungsten disulfide (WS2) nanoflakes obtained by the mechanical exfoliation method. The photocurrent measurements were carried out using a 532 nm laser source with different illumination powers. The results reveal a linear dependence of photocurrent on the excitation power, and the photoresponsivity shows an independent behavior at higher light intensities (400-4000 Wm-2). The WS2 photodetector exhibits superior performance with responsivity in the range of 36-73 AW-1 and a normalized gain in the range of 3.5-7.3 10-6 cm2V-1 at a lower bias voltage of 1 V. The admirable photoresponse at different light intensities suggests that WS2 nanostructures are of potential as a building block for novel optoelectronic device applications.

Advances in the Field of Two-Dimensional Crystal-Based Photodetectors

Two-dimensional (2D) materials have sparked intense interest among the scientific community owing to their extraordinary mechanical, optical, electronic, and thermal properties. In particular, the outstanding electronic and optical properties of 2D materials make them show great application potential in high-performance photodetectors (PDs), which can be applied in many fields such as high-frequency communication, novel biomedical imaging, national security, and so on. Here, the recent research progress of PDs based on 2D materials including graphene, transition metal carbides, transition-metal dichalcogenides, black phosphorus, and hexagonal boron nitride is comprehensively and systematically reviewed. First, the primary detection mechanism of 2D material-based PDs is introduced. Second, the structure and optical properties of 2D materials, as well as their applications in PDs, are heavily discussed. Finally, the opportunities and challenges of 2D material-based PDs are summarized and prospected. This review will provide a reference for the further application of 2D crystal-based PDs.

Facile fabrication of nanoflower-like WO3/WS2 heterojunction for highly sensitive NO2 detection at room temperature

Realizing efficient detection of ultra-low concentrations of hazardous gases contributes to air pollution monitoring, ecosystem and human health protection. Herein, we firstly fabricated the nanoflower-like WO₃/WS₂ composites by a facile process to highly sensitively detect NO₂ at room temperature. The WO₃ content in the WO₃/WS₂ composites can be adjusted by altering the calcination temperature, and the WO₃ nanoparticles disperse uniformly on the WS₂ surface, forming the WO₃/WS₂ heterojunction. The room-temperature responses of WO₃/WS₂ composites gradually climb with the NO₂ concentration increasing from 0.005 to 5 ppm, and the WW-280 and WW-300 composites possess the optimal gas sensitivity when the NO₂ concentrations are lower and higher than 100 ppb, respectively. In particular, the two WO₃/WS₂ composites present the limitation of detection (LOD) of ≤ 5 ppb, and they exhibit the excellent selectivity, good reproducibility and long-term stability towards NO₂. A possible gas sensing mechanism was also proposed from the point of views of gas adsorption, redox reactions and electron transfer. The appropriate WO₃ content and molar ratio of hexagonal to monoclinic WO₃, and the formation of WO₃/WS₂ p-n heterojunction can contribute to the high sensitivity of WO₃/WS₂ composite to various concentrations of NO₂. This work offers a promising gas sensing material for room-temperature detection to low concentrations of NO₂.

Solution Processed Photodetectors with PVK-WS2 Nanotube/Nanofullerene Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Films

Organic-inorganic hybrid photodetectors have attracted increased interest due to their exceptional properties, such as flexibility, transparency, and low cost for many promising applications. Low-dimensional tungsten disulfide (WS₂) nanostructures have outstanding electrical and optical properties, making them ideal candidates for ultrasensitive photodetector devices. In this paper, photodetectors were fabricated with hybrid thin films containing two different WS₂ nanomaterials, one-dimensional (1D) WS₂ nanotubes (WS₂-NTs) and a zero-dimensional (0D) WS₂ nanofullerene (WS₂-FLs) hybrid with poly(N-vinyl carbazole) (PVK). The electrical responses of the devices under visible-light illuminations were studied. The photodetector devices with 0D WS₂-FLs/PVK hybrid thin films have relatively higher sensitivity and stable voltage responses to visible light. Besides, the hybrid film shows a strong surface-enhanced Raman effect (SERS). These materials and new strategies enable the creation of a new class of processed photodetectors for practical applications.

Multifunctional Flexible Humidity Sensor Systems Towards Noncontact Wearable Electronics

In the past decade, the global industry and research attentions on intelligent skin-like electronics have boosted their applications in diverse fields including human healthcare, Internet of Things, human-machine interfaces, artificial intelligence and soft robotics. Among them, flexible humidity sensors play a vital role in noncontact measurements relying on the unique property of rapid response to humidity change. This work presents an overview of recent advances in flexible humidity sensors using various active functional materials for contactless monitoring. Four categories of humidity sensors are highlighted based on resistive, capacitive, impedance-type and voltage-type working mechanisms. Furthermore, typical strategies including chemical doping, structural design and Joule heating are introduced to enhance the performance of humidity sensors. Drawing on the noncontact perception capability, human/plant healthcare management, human-machine interactions as well as integrated humidity sensor-based feedback systems are presented. The burgeoning innovations in this research field will benefit human society, especially during the COVID-19 epidemic, where cross-infection should be averted and contactless sensation is highly desired.

Screen-Printable Silver Paste Material for Semitransparent and Flexible Metal-Semiconductor-Metal Photodetectors with Liquid-Phase Procedure

Photodetectors are widely applied in modern industrial fields because they convert light energy into electrical signals. We propose a printable silver (Ag) paste electrode for a highly flexible metal–semiconductor–metal (MSM) broadband visible light photodetector as a wearable and portable device. Single-crystal and surface-textured silicon substrates with thicknesses of 37.21 μm were fabricated using a wet etching process. Surface texturization on flexible Si substrates enhances the light-trapping effect and minimizes reflectance from the incident light, and the average reflectance is reduced by 16.3% with pyramid-like structures. In this study, semitransparent, conductive Ag paste electrodes were manufactured using a screen-printing with liquid-phase process to form a flexible MSM broadband visible light photodetector. The transmittance of the homemade Ag paste solution fell between 34.83% and 36.98% in the wavelength range of visible light, from 400 nm to 800 nm. The highest visible light photosensitivity was 1.75 × 10⁴ at 19.5 W/m². The photocurrents of the flexible MSM broadband visible light photodetector were slightly changed under concave and convex conditions, displaying stable and durable bending properties.

Multifunctional GeAs/WS2 Heterojunctions for Highly Polarization-Sensitive Photodetectors in the Short-Wave Infrared Range

Polarization-sensitive photodetectors in the infrared range have attracted considerable attention because of their unique and wide application prospects in polarization sensors and remote sensing. However, it is challenging to achieve short-wave infrared polarization detection as most polarization-sensitive photodetectors are based on transition-metal dichalcogenide (TMD) materials with in-plane symmetric crystal structure and sizable band gap (1-2 eV). In this work, we design a type-II GeAs/WS₂ heterojunction realizing superior self-driven polarization-sensitive photodetection in the short-wave infrared region. The device shows obvious rectifying behavior with a rectification ratio of 1.5 × 10⁴ in the dark and excellent photoresponse characteristics in a broad spectral range. Accordingly, the high responsivity of 509 mA/W, large on/off ratio of 10³, a high EQE of 99.8%, and a high specific detectivity of 1.08 × 10¹² Jones are obtained under 635 nm laser irradiation. Taking advantage of the narrow band gap of GeAs with an anisotropic structure, the detection spectral coverage can be extended from the visible to the short-wave infrared range (635-1550 nm). Further, the GeAs/WS₂ heterojunction shows high polarization sensitivity with an anisotropic photocurrent ratio of 4.5 and 3.1 at zero bias under 1310 and 1550 nm laser irradiation, respectively, which is much higher than that of reported polarization-sensitive photodetectors in the infrared region. This work provides an effective route using low-symmetry 2D materials with narrow band gap and anisotropic structure to design van der Waals (vdW) heterojunctions, realizing multifunctional optoelectronics for rectifying, photovoltaics, and polarization-sensitive photodetectors with spectral coverage up to 1550 nm.

Two-Dimensional Field-Effect Transistor Sensors: The Road toward Commercialization

The evolutionary success in information technology has been sustained by the rapid growth of sensor technology. Recently, advances in sensor technology have promoted the ambitious requirement to build intelligent systems that can be controlled by external stimuli along with independent operation, adaptivity, and low energy expenditure. Among various sensing techniques, field-effect transistors (FETs) with channels made of two-dimensional (2D) materials attract increasing attention for advantages such as label-free detection, fast response, easy operation, and capability of integration. With atomic thickness, 2D materials restrict the carrier flow within the material surface and expose it directly to the external environment, leading to efficient signal acquisition and conversion. This review summarizes the latest advances of 2D-materials-based FET (2D FET) sensors in a comprehensive manner that contains the material, operating principles, fabrication technologies, proof-of-concept applications, and prototypes. First, a brief description of the background and fundamentals is provided. The subsequent contents summarize physical, chemical, and biological 2D FET sensors and their applications. Then, we highlight the challenges of their commercialization and discuss corresponding solution techniques. The following section presents a systematic survey of recent progress in developing commercial prototypes. Lastly, we summarize the long-standing efforts and prospective future development of 2D FET-based sensing systems toward commercialization.

Noble metal (Ag, Au, Pd and Pt) doped TaS2 monolayer for gas sensing: a first-principles investigation

Two-dimensional (2D) layered nanomaterials have attracted increasing attention in gas sensing due to their graphene-like properties. Although the gas sensing performances of 2D layered semiconductor transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), including MoS₂, WS₂, MoSe₂ and WSe₂, have been extensively studied, it has remained a grand challenge to develop a high-performance gas sensing material that can meet practical applications. Tantalum disulfide (TaS₂), as a metallic TMD with low resistance and high current signal, has great promise in high-performance gas sensing. In stark contrast with Mo and W, Ta has a stronger positive charge, which contributes to a higher surface energy to capture gas molecules. Herein, through calculating the adsorption energy, charge transfer, electronic structure, and work function of the adsorption system with first-principles calculations, we first systematically studied the performance of noble metal atom substitution doping on a TaS₂ monolayer for toxic nitrogen-containing gas (NH₃, NO and NO₂) sensing. We found that the TaS₂ monolayer exhibits excellent NO sensing performance with an adsorption energy of 0.49 eV and a charge transfer of 0.17 e. However, it has a considerable adsorption energy (-0.22 and -0.39 eV) to NH₃ and NO₂ molecules, but a low charge transfer (-0.03 and 0.04 e) between the gas molecules and the TaS₂ monolayer. To further enhance the gas-sensing performance of the TaS₂ monolayer, noble metal atoms (Ag, Au, Pd and Pt) were substitutionally doped into the lattice of the TaS₂ monolayer. The results showed that the values of adsorption energy and charge transfer can be significantly improved, and the electronic structure and work function of the doping system has also greatly changed, which makes it much easier to detect the changes in electrical signal due to gas adsorption. Our work indicates that the intrinsic as well as the noble metal doped TaS₂ monolayers are promising candidates for high-performance gas sensors.

Fluorescent lamp tungsten filament thermionic emission gun as a novel humidity optical sensor

Detecting humidity have been remained a continuing concern within some important areas such as structural health, food processing, industrial as well as agricultural products. In this study, a novel humidity optical sensor is introduced based on the thermionic emission of tungsten filament using the fluorescent lamp set-up. Estimated blue compliant using a charged coupling device camera in optical image of the tungsten filament was confirmed as an appropriate detection system for relative humidity (RH) sensing. The fabricated optical sensor has wide linear range (2.0–98% RH), improved detection limit (< 5.0% RH), acceptable saturated limit (> 99.0% RH), improved percentage of relative standard deviation (4.18%, n = 2), adequate hysteresis (< 4.0% RH) and a shorter rise time (< 5.0 s), respectively. The mechanism behind this detection system is based on the interaction between H₂O and tungsten filament during formation of W\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$$\end{document}O3.x \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$$\end{document}H2O (x = 1–2) in terms of some spectroscopic obtained evidences as well as Fourier transform infrared and X-ray diffraction spectrometries.

Exceptionally high open circuit thermoelectric figure of merit in two-dimensional tin sulphide

Thermoelectric materials with high values of power factor and thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) are in great demand to make efficient thermoelectric devices. In this work, we explore the thermoelectric transport properties of layered tin sulphide (SnS) using first-principles method combined with Boltzmann transport theory. Our calculations show that the two-dimensional (2D) SnS materials have exceptionally high charge carrier mobilities and low lattice thermal conductivities as compared to other 2D materials such as graphene, phosphorene, MoS₂, etc. Consequently, these 2D SnS materials have high power factor andZTvalues.

Multiple-Dimensionally Controllable Nucleation Sites of Two-Dimensional WS2/Bi2Se3 Heterojunctions Based on Vapor Growth

Two-dimensional (2D) heterojunctions have attracted great attention due to their excellent optoelectronic properties. Until now, precisely controlling the nucleation density and stacking area of 2D heterojunctions has been of critical importance but still a huge challenge. It hampers the progress of controlled growth of 2D heterojunctions for optoelectronic devices because the potential relation between numerous growth parameters and nucleation density is always poorly understood. Herein, by cooperatively controlling three parameters (substrate temperature, gas flow rate, and precursor concentration) in modified vapor deposition growth, the nucleation density and stacking area of WS₂/Bi₂Se₃ vertical heterojunctions were successfully modulated. High-quality WS₂/Bi₂Se₃ vertical heterojunctions with various stacking areas were effectively grown from single and multiple nucleation sites. Moreover, the potential nucleation mechanism and efficient charge transfer of WS₂/Bi₂Se₃ vertical heterojunctions were systematically studied by utilizing the density functional theory and photoluminescence spectra. This modified vapor deposition strategy and the proposed mechanism are helpful in controlling the nucleation density and stacking area of other heterojunctions, which plays a key role in the preparation of electronic and optoelectronic nanodevices.

Highly stable Pd/HNb3O8-based flexible humidity sensor for perdurable wireless wearable applications

Real-time, daily health monitoring can provide large amounts of patient data, which may greatly improve the likelihood of diagnosing health conditions at an early stage. One potential sensor is a flexible humidity sensor to monitor moisture and humidity information such as dehydration. However, achieving a durable functional nanomaterial-based flexible humidity sensor remains a challenge due to partial desorption of water molecules during the recovery process, especially at high humidities. In this work, we demonstrate a highly stable resistive-type Pd/HNb₃O₈ humidity sensor, which exhibits a perdurable performance for over 100 h of cycle tests under a 90% relative humidity (RH) without significant performance degradation. One notable advantage of the Pd/HNb₃O₈ humidity sensor is its ability to regulate hydroniums due to the strong reducibility of H atoms dissociated on the Pd surface. This feature realizes a high stability even at a high humidity (99.9% RH). Using this superior performance, the Pd/HNb₃O₈ humidity sensor realizes wireless monitoring of the changes in the fingertip humidity of an adult under different physiological states, demonstrating a facile and reliable path for dehydration diagnosis.

Additive-Enhanced Exfoliation for High-Yield 2D Materials Production

The success of van-der-Waals electronics, which combine large-scale-deposition capabilities with high device performance, relies on the efficient production of suitable 2D materials. Shear exfoliation of 2D materials' flakes from bulk sources can generate 2D materials with low amounts of defects, but the production yield has been limited below industry requirements. Here, we introduce additive-assisted exfoliation (AAE) as an approach to significantly increase the efficiency of shear exfoliation and produce an exfoliation yield of 30%. By introducing micrometer-sized particles that do not exfoliate, the gap between rotor and stator was dynamically reduced to increase the achievable shear rate. This enhancement was applied to WS2 and MoS2 production, which represent two of the most promising 2D transition-metal dichalcogenides. Spectroscopic characterization and cascade centrifugation reveal a consistent and significant increase in 2D material concentrations across all thickness ranges. Thus, the produced WS2 films exhibit high thickness uniformity in the nanometer-scale and can open up new routes for 2D materials production towards future applications.

Preparation and Performance Analysis of Ag/ZnO Humidity Sensor

Highly sensitive silver (Ag) modified zinc oxide (ZnO) humidity sensors were prepared by hydrothermal synthesis and the mechanism was studied. Experimental results show that Ag-modified ZnO can effectively enhance the performance of a humidity sensor. Large number of oxygen vacancies and many active sites are generated on the surface when molar ratio of Ag⁺ to Zn²⁺ is 1:100, which can accelerate the decomposition of water molecules on surface of the material, thereby improving the response of humidity sensor. Moreover, the linearity of ZnO humidity sensor is greatly improved by silver nanoparticles. Compared with previously reported ZnO-based humidity sensors, Ag/ZnO humidity sensors have a better response (151,700%), good linearity, low hysteresis (3%), and short response/recovery time (36/6 s). At the same time, it is found that the light had little effect on the performance of Ag/ZnO. Therefore, this kind of ZnO sensor with stable performance and excellent performance is expected to be used in the detection of relative humidity in conventional environments.

Low-Temperature Synthesis of Wafer-Scale MoS2-WS2 Vertical Heterostructures by Single-Step Penetrative Plasma Sulfurization

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have attracted considerable attention owing to their synergetic effects with other 2D materials, such as graphene and hexagonal boron nitride, in TMD-based heterostructures. Therefore, it is important to understand the physical properties of TMD-TMD vertical heterostructures for their applications in next-generation electronic devices. However, the conventional synthesis process of TMD-TMD heterostructures has some critical limitations, such as nonreproducibility and low yield. In this paper, we synthesize wafer-scale MoS₂-WS₂ vertical heterostructures (MWVHs) using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PE-CVD) via penetrative single-step sulfurization discovered by time-dependent analysis. This method is available for fabricating uniform large-area vertical heterostructures (4 in.) at a low temperature (300 °C). MWVHs were characterized using various spectroscopic and microscopic techniques, which revealed their uniform nanoscale polycrystallinity and the presence of vertical layers of MoS₂ and WS₂. In addition, wafer-scale MWVHs diodes were fabricated and demonstrated uniform performance by current mapping. Furthermore, mode I fracture tests were performed using large double cantilever beam specimens to confirm the separation of the MWVHs from the SiO₂/Si substrate. Therefore, this study proposes a synthesis mechanism for TMD-TMD heterostructures and provides a fundamental understanding of the interfacial properties of TMD-TMD vertical heterostructures.

Porous metal-graphene oxide nanocomposite sensors with high ammonia detectability

Nickel oxide-graphene oxide (NiO-GO), zinc oxide-graphene oxide (ZnO-GO) and bismuth oxide-graphene oxide (Bi₂O₃-GO) metal oxide-graphene oxide nanocomposite (MO-GO NC) sensors, operable at room temperature, were synthesized via a simple and cost-effective microwave-assisted combustion method for chemiresistive gas sensor applications. From the measured structural, morphological, and elemental detection properties, the sensors are found capable of detecting various gases. The Bi₂O₃-GO NC sensor exhibited excellent response over NiO-GO (~20 at 50 ppm) and ZnO-GO NC (~60 at 50 ppm) sensors for detecting NH₃. The response of the Bi₂O₃-GO NC sensor at 50 ppm NH₃ in just 14 s operation duration was ~81.23, which is improved 25-fold and 13-fold compared to pristine GO sensors. Additionally, the as-developed Bi₂O₃-GO NC sensor demonstrates outstanding repeatability and recovery kinetics, attributed to porosity and the combined effects of MO and GO. The sensing mechanism of the Bi₂O₃-GO NC gas sensors is proposed herein. The superior sensing performance, including quick response and recovery of the Bi₂O₃-GO NC sensor is attributed to favorable charge transfer across the Bi₂O₃ and GO interface. The significance of relative humidity on sensing potential of the Bi₂O₃-GO NC sensor has also been studied and the sensor is confirmed to be unaffected by relative humidity.

A highly transparent humidity sensor with fast response speed based on α-MoO3 thin films

Metal oxide based humidity sensors are important indicators in environmental monitoring. However, most of them are non-transparent and have a long response time, which cannot meet the application of real-time humidity sensing in transparent electronics. Here, we report a metal oxide humidity sensor based on chemically synthesized molybdenum oxide (α-MoO3) thin films. By a green reaction in an ice water bath, the stable precursor containing nanocrystalline colloids was obtained. Molybdenum oxide films with controllable morphology were fabricated through one-step spin coating. The α-MoO3 based humidity sensor exhibits extremely high transparency (85%) in the visible region and has short response and recovery times (0.97 and 12.11 s). In addition, it also shows high sensitivity, good logarithmic linearity and selectivity in a wide relative humidity range of 11% to 95%. The mechanism of humidity sensing was further studied by complex impedance spectroscopy. This novel metal oxide humidity sensor combined with high transparency and fast response speed is expected to broaden the application ranges of humidity sensors.

Remarkable improved photoelectric performance of SnS2 field-effect transistor with Au plasmonic nanostructures

The development of photoelectric devices for high integration and miniaturization in the semiconductor industry can be pushed forward by the thriving research of two-dimensional layered metal dichalcogenides (2D-LMDs). SnS₂ nanosheets have an evident photoresponse to both ultraviolet and partial visible light, but only with a fair photoelectric performance limited by their atomic-layer thickness. Here, we report a convenient and simple method to dramatically enhance the electrical and photoelectric performance of the SnS₂ flake. By integrating SnS₂ with Au plasmonic nanostructures, the photocurrent (I _ph) increased by over 20 times. The corresponding responsivity (R), light gain (G), and detectivity (D*) have been improved by ∼2200%, 2200% and 600%, respectively. The responsivity and detectivity of the Au NPs-SnS₂ field-effect transistor (FET) at 532 nm are 1125.9 A W^-1 and 2.12 × 10¹¹ Jones. Though atomically thin, the hybrid SnS₂ photodetector, benefiting from local surface plasmonic resonance, achieves an excellent photoelectric performance that is not usually possible with a pristine SnS₂-only device.

Printable Highly Stable and Superfast Humidity Sensor Based on Two Dimensional Molybdenum Diselenide

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) are promising materials for sensing applications, due to their exceptional high performance in nano-electronics. Inherentely, the chemical and thermal responses of TMDCs are highly stable, hence, they pave way for real time sensor applications. This article proposes inceptively a stable and superfast humidity sensor using two-dimensional (2D) Molybdenum diselenide (MoSe₂) through printed technlogies. The 2D MoSe₂ ink is synthesized through wet grinding to achieve few-layered nano-flakes. Inter digital electrodes (IDEs) are fabricated via screen-printing on Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate and thin film of MoSe₂ nano-flakes is fabricated through spin coating. The impedance and capacitance response are recorded at 1 kHz between temperature levels ranging from 20-30 °C. The impedance and capacitance hysteresis results are recorded <1.98% and <2.36%, respectively, ensuring very good repeatability during humidification and dehumidification. The stability of impedance and capacitance response are recorded with maximum error rate of ~ 0.162% and ~ 0.183%, respectively. The proposed sensor shows fast impedance response time (T_res) of ~ 0.96 s, and recovery time (T_rec) of ~ 1.03 s, which has T_res of ~ 1.87 s, and T_rec of ~ 2.13 s for capacitance. It is aimed to develop a high performance and stable humidity sensor for various monitoring applications.

The Application of Nano-MoS2 Quantum Dots as Liquid Lubricant Additive for Tribological Behavior Improvement

Molybdenum disulfide quantum dots (MoS₂ QDs) are a promising lubricant additive for enhanced engine efficiency. In this study, MoS₂ QDs were used as lubricating oil additives for ball-on-disc contact and had adequate dispersity in paroline oil, due to their super small particle size (~3 nm). Tribological results indicate that the friction coefficient of paroline oil with 0.3 wt.% MoS₂ QDs reached 0.061, much lower than that of pure paroline oil (0.169), which is due to the formation of a stable tribo-film formed by the MoS₂, MoO₃, FeS, and FeSO₄ composite within the wear track. Synergistic lubrication effects of the tribo-film and ball-bearing effect cooperatively resulted in the lowest friction and wear.

Deeply Exploring Anisotropic Evolution toward Large-Scale Growth of Monolayer ReS2

Among large numbers of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), monolayer rhenium disulfide (ReS₂) is of particular interest due to its unique structural anisotropy, which opens up unprecedented opportunities in dichroic atomical electronics. Understanding the domain structure and controlling the anisotropic evolution of ReS₂ during the growth is considered critical for increasing the domain size toward a large-scale growth of monolayer ReS₂. Herein, by employing angle-resolved Raman spectroscopy, we reveal that the hexagonal ReS₂ domain is constructed by six well-defined subdomains with each b-axis parallel to the diagonal of the hexagon. By further combining the first-principles calculations and the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterization, a dislocation-involved anisotropic evolution is proposed to explain the formation of the domain structures and understand the limitation of the domain size. Based on these findings, growth rates of different crystal planes are well controlled to enlarge the domain size, and moreover, single-crystal domains with a triangle shape are obtained. With the improved domain size, large-scale uniform, strictly monolayer ReS₂ films are grown further. Scalable field-effect transistor (FET) arrays are constructed, which show good electrical performances comparable or even superior to that of the single domains reported at room temperature. This work not only sheds light on comprehending the novel growth mechanism of ReS₂ but also offers a robust and controllable strategy for the synthesis of large-area and high-quality two-dimensional materials with low structural symmetry.

Room-temperature synthesis and CO2-gas sensitivity of bismuth oxide nanosensors

Room-temperature (27 °C) synthesis and carbon dioxide (CO₂)-gas-sensor applications of bismuth oxide (Bi₂O₃) nanosensors obtained via a direct and superfast chemical-bath-deposition method (CBD) with different surface areas and structures, i.e., crystallinities and morphologies including a woollen globe, nanosheet, rose-type, and spongy square plate on a glass substrate, are reported. Moprhologies of the Bi₂O₃ nanosensors are tuned through polyethylene glycol, ethylene glycol, and ammonium fluoride surfactants. The crystal structure, type of crystallinity, and surface appearance are determined from the X-ray diffraction patterns, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy spectra, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy images. The room-temperature gas-sensor applications of these Bi₂O₃ nanosensors for H₂, H₂S, NO₂, SO_2, and CO₂ gases are monitored from 10 to 100 ppm concentrations, wherein Bi₂O₃ nanosensors of different physical properties demonstrate better performance and response/recovery time measurement for CO₂ gas than those for the other target gases employed. Among various sensor morphologies, the nanosheet-type Bi₂O₃ sensor has exhibited at 100 ppm concentration of CO₂ gas, a 179% response, 132 s response time, and 82 s recovery time at room-temperature, which is credited to its unique surface morphology, high surface area, and least charge transfer resistance. This suggests that the importance of the surface morphology, surface area, and crystallinity of the Bi₂O₃ nanosensors used for designing room-temperature operable CO₂ gas sensors for commercial benefits.

Room-temperature (27 °C) synthesis and carbon dioxide (CO₂)-gas-sensing applications of bismuth oxide (Bi₂O₃) nanosensors obtained via a direct and superfast chemical-bath-deposition method (CBD) with different surface areas and structures.

Self-Powered Broad-band Photodetectors Based on Vertically Stacked WSe2/Bi2Te3 p-n Heterojunctions

Semiconducting p-n heterojunctions, serving as the basic unit of modern electronic devices, such as photodetectors, solar-energy conversion devices, and light-emitting diodes (LEDs), have been extensively investigated in recent years. In this work, high performance self-powered broad-band photodetectors were fabricated based on vertically stacked p-n heterojunctions though combining p-type WSe₂ with n-type Bi₂Te₃ via van der Waals (vdW) epitaxial growth. Devices based on the p-n heterojunction show obvious current rectification behaviors in the dark and superior photovoltaic characteristics under light irradiation. A maximum short circuit current of 18 nA and open circuit voltage of 0.25 V can be achieved with the illumination light of 633 nm (power density: 26.4 mW/cm²), which are among the highest values compared with the ever reported 2D vdW heterojunctions synthesized by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. Benefiting from the broad-band absorption of the heterostructures, the detection range can be expanded from the visible to near-infrared (375-1550 nm). Moreover, ascribing to the efficient carriers separation process at the junction interfaces, the devices can be further employed as self-powered photodetectors, where a fast response time (∼210 μs) and high responsivity (20.5 A/W at 633 nm and 27 mA/W at 1550 nm) are obtained under zero bias voltage. The WSe₂/Bi₂Te₃ p-n heterojunction-based self-powered photodetectors with high photoresponsivity, fast photoresponse time, and broad spectral response will find potential applications in high speed and self-sufficient broad-band devices.

Formation of large area WS2 nanosheets using an oxygen-plasma assisted exfoliation suitable for optical devices

We report a facile method to realize large area two-dimensional tungsten disulfide nanosheets. The formation of such large WS₂ sheets is feasible through sonication in water and dimethyl-sulfoxide (DMSO) solutions, leading to well-separated mono and few layer flakes. The exfoliation has been improved by extensive immersion in near-freezing water prior to probe sonication and subsequent addition of DMSO. By applying oxygen plasma before exfoliation, the size and distribution of sheets become more uniform and larger mono and double-layered structures with sizes of the order of 1 μm are achieved. Different analyses such as SEM, TEM, AFM, DLS and Raman spectroscopy have been employed to understand the mechanism of the exfoliation and study the effects of various parameters such as water temperature, duration and plasma power. The optical properties of WS₂ sheets have been examined with a 532 nm laser illumination and demonstrate superior responsivity and detectivity of 0.59 A W^-1 and 6.5 × 10¹⁰ cm Hz^1/2 W^-1, respectively.

Vertically Stacked CVD-Grown 2D Heterostructure for Wafer-Scale Electronics

This paper demonstrates, for the first time, wafer-scale graphene/MoS₂ heterostructures prepared by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and their application in vertical transistors and logic gates. A CVD-grown bulk MoS₂ layer is utilized as the vertical channel, whereas CVD-grown monolayer graphene is used as the tunable work-function electrode. The short vertical channel of the transistor is formed by sandwiching bulk MoS₂ between the bottom indium tin oxide (ITO, drain electrode) and the top graphene (source electrode). The electron injection barriers at the graphene-MoS₂ junction and ITO-MoS₂ junction are modulated effectively through variation of the Schottky barrier height and its effective barrier width, respectively, because of the work-function tunability of the graphene electrode. The resulting vertical transistor with the CVD-grown MoS₂/graphene heterostructure exhibits a current density exceeding 7 A/cm², a subthreshold swing of 410 mV/dec, and an on-off current ratio exceeding 10³. The large-area synthesis, transfer, and patterning processes of both semiconducting MoS₂ and metallic graphene facilitate construction of a wafer-scale array of transistors and logic gates such as NOT, NAND, and NOR.

A Bilayer 2D-WS2/Organic-Based Heterojunction for High-Performance Photodetectors

Two-dimensional (2D) tungsten disulfide (WS2) has inspired great efforts in optoelectronics, such as in solar cells, light-emitting diodes, and photodetectors. However, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) grown 2D WS2 domains with the coexistence of a discontinuous single layer and multilayers are still not suitable for the fabrication of photodetectors on a large scale. An emerging field in the integration of organic materials with 2D materials offers the advantages of molecular diversity and flexibility to provide an exciting aspect on high-performance device applications. Herein, we fabricated a photodetector based on a 2D-WS2/organic semiconductor materials (mixture of the (Poly-(N, N'-bis-4-butylphenyl-N, N'-bisphenyl) benzidine and Phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (Poly-TPD/PCBM)) heterojunction. The application of Poly-TPD/PCBM organic blend film enhanced light absorption, electrically connected the isolated WS2 domains, and promoted the separation of electron-hole pairs. The generated exciton could sufficiently diffuse to the interface of the WS2 and the organic blend layers for efficient charge separation, where Poly-TPD was favorable for hole carrier transport and PCBM for electron transport to their respective electrodes. We show that the photodetector exhibited high responsivity, detectivity, and an on/off ratio of 0.1 A/W, 1.1 × 1011 Jones, and 100, respectively. In addition, the photodetector showed a broad spectral response from 500 nm to 750 nm, with a peak external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 8%. Our work offers a facile solution-coating process combined with a CVD technique to prepare an inorganic/organic heterojunction photodetector with high performance on silicon substrate.

Self-powered, flexible and remote-controlled breath monitor based on TiO2 nanowire networks

Smart breath monitor devices with high stretchability, fast response/recovery times and self-powered characteristic are essential in the wearable medical and life science applications. In this work, we report on the development of a versatile high-performance humidity sensor based on TiO₂ nanowire networks for self-powered sensing application of human breath monitoring. These sensors, with typical response times of ∼3.6 s and recovery times of ∼14 s, exhibit high sensitivity to water vapor and can yield an output voltage that is directly proportional to the humidity level of ambient environment. The structure of nanowire networks is highly flexible and maintains the output voltage even after 10 000 times bending. By combining this type of sensor with a commercial signal transmission and processing system, it shows the good basis for real-time/remote-controlled monitoring and analysis of human breath under a variety of respiratory conditions. Our results suggest a new class of humidity sensing for self-powered biomedical devices and open to new technologies in energy, electronics, and sensor applications.

Molecular Routes to Two-Dimensional Metal Dichalcogenides MX2 (M = Mo, W; X = S, Se)

New synthetic access to two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) is highly desired to exploit their extraordinary semiconducting and optoelectronic properties for practical applications. We introduce here an entirely novel class of molecular precursors, [M^IV(XEtN(Me)EtX)₂] (M^IV = Mo^IV, W^IV, X = S, Se), enabling chemical vapor deposition of TMDC thin films. Molybdenum and tungsten complexes of dianionic tridentate pincer-type ligands (HXEt)₂NR (R = methyl, tert-butyl, phenyl) produced air-stable monomeric dichalcogenide complexes, [W(SEtN(Me)EtS)₂] and [Mo(SEtN(Me)EtS)₂], displaying W and Mo centers in an octahedral environment of 4 S and 2 N donor atoms. Owing to their remarkable volatility and clean thermal decomposition, both Mo and W complexes, when used in the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process, produced crystalline MoS₂ and WS₂ thin films. X-ray diffraction analysis and atomic-scale imaging confirmed the phase purity and 2D structural characteristics of MoS₂ and WS₂ films. The new set of ligands presented in this work open ups convenient access to a scalable and precursor-based synthesis of 2D transition metal dichalcogenides.

Investigations on synthesis, characterization and humidity sensing properties of ZnO and ZnO-ZrO2 composite nanoparticles prepared by ultrasonic assisted wet chemical method

In the present investigations, Zinc oxide (ZnO) and ZnO-ZrO₂ composite nanoparticles were synthesized by ultrasonic assisted wet chemical method to investigate their structural, optical and humidity sensing properties. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by the techniques like X ray diffraction (XRD), UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS). XRD and EDS were employed to confirm the phase formation and phase purity respectively. SEM micrographs showed that morphology of the parent compound ZnO is considerably changed with varying concentration of ZrO₂. The optical absorption spectra showed that optical absorption of ZnO decreases with increase in ZrO₂ content in the composite. The observed band gap values for ZnO and ZnO-ZrO₂ composites were higher as compared to the bulk sample. The humidity sensing performance was substantiated for all the samples and the result of effect of concentration of ZrO₂ in ZnO-ZrO₂ composites on sensitivity, response and recovery time are discussed in detail.

Broadband all-light-control with WS2 coated microfibers

All-optical light amplitude tuning functionality is demonstrated in a layered tungsten disulfide (WS₂) nanosheets coated microfiber (MF) structure. Due to the strong light-matter interactions between WS₂ nanosheets and the evanescent field around the MF, a large variation in the transmitted power can be observed under both external and internal pump light excitations over a broadband spectrum (~100 nm). A power variation rate of ~0.3744 dB/mW is obtained under external violet pump light excitation, whereas the power variation rate of similar devices in the state of the art are usually less than 0.3 dB/mW. In terms of the response time, a moderate rise/fall time of ∼20.5/19.6 ms is achieved, which is mainly limited by the employed structure fabrication methods. These results indicate that the optical transmitted power of the WS₂ coated MF can be modulated by different pump light with the power in the order of mW, thus the proposed device might have potential applications in all optical controllable devices and sensors, etc.

Impact of MoS2 layer transfer on electrostatics of MoS2/SiO2 interface

Using internal photoemission of electrons from few-monolayer thin MoS₂ films into SiO₂ we found that the MoS₂ layer transfer processing perturbs electroneutrality of the interface, leading to an increase of the electron barrier height by ≈0.5-1 eV as compared to the case of the same films synthesized directly on SiO₂. This effect is associated with the formation of an interface dipole, tentatively ascribed to interaction of H₂O molecules with the SiO₂ surface resulting in the incorporation of silanol (SiOH) groups. This violation of the interface electroneutrality may account for additional electron scattering in ultrathin transferred films and threshold voltage instabilities. Post-transfer annealing in H₂S is shown to reduce the transfer-induced interface degradation.

Development of High-Performance Bismuth Sulfide Nanobelts Humidity Sensor and Effect of Humid Environment on its Transport Properties

Orthorhombic phase bismuth sulfide (Bi₂S₃) nanobelts were prepared via  liquid-solid phase reaction method. Bi₂S₃ nanobelts were observed to be preferentially oriented along the (101) plane. Direct band gap (2.95 eV) and characteristic wavelength (λ_max = 342 nm) were extracted through UV-visible spectroscopy. Specific surface area (9.8 m²/g) and pore size (2.5-120 nm) were evaluated through Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis. Relative humidity (RH) sensing properties were studied in the range of 11-97% RH at ambient conditions. The response of the sensor increases linearly with increase in RH. Fast response time (8-10 s) and recovery time (15 s) were observed. Reproducible and large response was also observed between 11 and 97% RH. Small hysteresis (<5%) and long-term stability during 30 days were confirmed. As a function of frequency, capacitance, alternating current conductivity, and electrical complex modulus in the frequency range of 20-2 MHz were studied at 11-97% RH. The sensing mechanism was also studied.

Electrically-Transduced Chemical Sensors Based on Two-Dimensional Nanomaterials

Electrically-transduced sensors, with their simplicity and compatibility with standard electronic technologies, produce signals that can be efficiently acquired, processed, stored, and analyzed. Two dimensional (2D) nanomaterials, including graphene, phosphorene (BP), transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), and others, have proven to be attractive for the fabrication of high-performance electrically-transduced chemical sensors due to their remarkable electronic and physical properties originating from their 2D structure. This review highlights the advances in electrically-transduced chemical sensing that rely on 2D materials. The structural components of such sensors are described, and the underlying operating principles for different types of architectures are discussed. The structural features, electronic properties, and surface chemistry of 2D nanostructures that dictate their sensing performance are reviewed. Key advances in the application of 2D materials, from both a historical and analytical perspective, are summarized for four different groups of analytes: gases, volatile compounds, ions, and biomolecules. The sensing performance is discussed in the context of the molecular design, structure-property relationships, and device fabrication technology. The outlook of challenges and opportunities for 2D nanomaterials for the future development of electrically-transduced sensors is also presented.