Creating chirality in WSe2 through screw dislocations by chemical vapor transport

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Philip Putze - , Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden (Author)
  • Tobias Ritschel - , Chair of Physics of Quantum Materials (Author)
  • Paul Chekhonin - , Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) (Author)
  • Jochen Geck - , Chair of Physics of Quantum Materials (Author)
  • Daniel Wolf - , Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden (Author)
  • Alexey A. Popov - , Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden (Author)
  • Bernd Büchner - , Chair of Experimental Solid State Physics, Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden (Author)
  • Peer Schmidt - , Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg (Author)
  • Silke Hampel - , Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden (Author)

Abstract

Screw dislocation-driven nanostructures of two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (2D TMDs) can feature chirality that enables prominent asymmetric optical properties. One of the outstanding representatives is WSe2 as it can exhibit intriguing new size and shape-dependent chemical and physical properties compared to its bulk counterpart. Crystal growth control in nanostructures with screw dislocation-driven growth is central for exploiting their structure-related properties. However, bottom-up syntheses of 2D TMDs usually contain ‘trial and error’ approaches. Here we report on the rational synthesis planning and realizing for the binary system W:Se to achieve chirality in nano-scale crystals by chemical vapor transport (CVT). For that purpose, key parameters were modelled based on thermodynamic datasets. Thus, crystal growth by CVT under addition of SeCl4 succeeds for right-handed spiral nanocrystals from 850 °C to 800 °C with a dwell time of 60 min, while left-handed spirals are obtained from 915 °C to 860 °C. Surface-fused SiO2 nanoparticles on an Si(100) substrate served as potential nucleation points. Chirality of screwed WSe2 was unprecedentedly investigated by circular-polarized Raman Spectroscopy and showed an intensity increase of the E12g mode of 29% and 15% for right and left-handed spirals, respectively. Pyramid-like WSe2 analyzed by atomic force microscopy exhibits step heights of around 10 nm. Electron backscatter diffraction patterns reveal a convex curvature for WSe2 with the curvature radii determined as Rx = (270 ± 32) μm and Ry = (141 ± 9) μm, respectively.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)944-956
Number of pages13
JournalNanoscale Horizons
Volume10
Issue number5
Early online date13 Mar 2025
Publication statusPublished - 1 May 2025
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 40109226
ORCID /0000-0002-2438-0672/work/189286434

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas