Exploring electric field assisted van der Waals weakening of stratified crystals. (September 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mohiuddin, Md; Pillai, Naresh; Zavabeti, Ali; Mahmood, Nasir; Syed, Nitu; Datta, Robi S.; Jampaiah, Deshetti; Daeneke, Torben; Ou, Jian Zhen; Kalantar-Zadeh, Kourosh
• Is Part Of: Applied materials today. Volume 12(2018)
• Page Start: 359
• Page End: 365
• Publication Date: 2018-09
• Subjects: Two-dimensional -- Surface tension components -- Dispersive component -- Polar component -- Piezoelectric; Materials science -- Periodicals; Materials -- Research -- Periodicals; 620.1105
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apmt.2018.05.005
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2352-9407

Abstract

Graphical abstract: Highlights: Stratified crystals can be exfoliated into two dimensional (2D) flakes. Mechanical agitation in a liquid medium is used for obtaining suspensions of 2D flakes. Simultaneous application of mechanical agitation and electric field can impact the exfoliation process outcomes. This investigation shows that electric field enhances the exfoliation of WS2 while does not impact graphene and MoS2 . We associate the enhancement efficiency to dispersive component matching between WS2 and the solvent and also non-centrosymmetry of WS2 . Abstract: We report an enhancement in the efficiency of agitative liquid-phase exfoliation of stratified WS2 crystals under the influence of an electric field. We have been successfully able to increase the exfoliation efficiency of WS2 nanoflakes using a co-applied alternating electric field. Loss of centrosymmetry at the facial layers of WS2, together with the matching between the dispersive component of this material and solvent that weakens the van der Waals forces, augment the exfoliation process. However, this is not seen for MoS2 and graphene. The outcomes provide the base for future investigations on the influence of electric field for the exfoliation of layered structures.