TaS 2 nanoplatelets produced by laser ablation
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Tantalum disulfide (TaS2) nanoplatelets were produced by laser ablation of a TaS2 target under an argon atmosphere. The nanoplatelet dimensions and morphology were characterized by transmission electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction. The effect of the ablation laser power density on the size distribution of the nanoplatelets was studied. The TaS2 nanoplatelets were prone to oxidation upon exposure to air but could be stabilized by using 3-mercaptopropionic acid as the capping agent.
I. INTRODUCTION
Layered transition metal dichalcogenides (TMD) have a structure similar to graphite, however, each graphene sheet is replaced by an MX2 layer containing the transition metals (such as Ta, W, and Mo) in a trigonal prismatic or octahedral coordination sandwiched by layers of chalcogen atoms.1 Nanosized TMD materials tend to fold into closed structures to reduce the energy of the dangling bonds, thus a range of closed-cage structures such as multishell onion-like clusters, generically called inorganic fullerenes, have been prepared.2 Nanotubes,3,4 nanowires, and nanoribbons can also be obtained.5 TMD nanomaterials have a wide range of chemical and physical properties that make them attractive for many applications.6–9 TMD materials can be semiconducting, metallic, or even superconducting.1 There are a variety of synthetic methods for producing TMD nanomaterials. Nanotubes have been synthesized by gas-phase methods,2,3 template methods,10 and sonochemical methods.11 Inorganic fullerene materials can be prepared by a gas-phase method,12 electron irradiation,13 or by laser ablation.12,14–17 Nanoplatelets of MoS2 and InSe can be prepared via solution chemistry.18,19 Laser ablation, commonly applied in mass spectrometry20 and for thin film deposition,21 is a nonequilibrium growth process useful for synthesizing nanomaterials and was used in the discovery of C60.22 Laser ablation for nanoparticle production can take place under an inert gas environment14,15 or in a liquid medium.16 In the case of laser ablation under an inert gas, the laser beam removes material from the surface of the target by vaporization. Subsequently, during the adiabatic cooling process of the vaporized target material, nanoparticles can be formed.
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Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: [email protected] DOI: 10.1557/JMR.2006.0148 J. Mater. Res., Vol. 21, No. 5, May 2006
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In this article, we report the production of TaS2 nanoplatelets via laser ablation of a TaS2 target in an argon gas environment and we investigate the size distribution of the TaS2 nanoplatelets as a function of the laser power. We also report the stabilization of solution suspensions of TaS2 nanoplatelets by 3-mercaptopropionic acid (3MPA).
II. EXPERIMENTAL METHOD
TaS2 powder (99.9% Ta) was purchased from Strem Chemicals, Inc. (Newburyport, MA) and was used without further purification. 3-MPA was purchased from Aldrich (Milwaukee, WI) and was also used without further purification. Copper transmiss
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