No abstract

By cutting MoS2 microcrystals to quantum dots (QDs) of sizes below 10 nm, the photoluminescence (PL) at ca. 450 nm can be detected easily due to the quantum confinement effects across the 2D planes. The PL is stable under continuous irradiation of UV light but gradually quenches when treated with an increasing concentration of hydrogen peroxide. Time-resolved PL and Raman spectra imply that H2O2 causes the partial oxidation of MoS2 QDs. First-principles calculations reveal that the MoS2 QDs with oxygen impurity are of indirect bandgap structures showing no notable PL. And absorption spectra verify that the PL of MoS2 QDs quenched by H2O2 is attributed to the oxidation. The integrated PL intensity and H2O2 concentration show an exponential relationship in the range of 2–20 μM, suggesting that MoS2 QDs are potential fluorescent probes for hydrogen peroxide sensing in a physiological environment.

Black phosphorus (BP) has recently attracted considerable attention due to its unique structure and fascinating optical and electronic properties as well as possible applications in photothermal agents. However, its main drawback is rapid degradation in ambient environments of HO and O, which has led to much research on the improvement of its stability. Unfortunately, this research has not shown great improvement in carrier mobilities. Here, we perform scanning tunneling microscopy observations of few-layer BP (FLBP) sheets exfoliated in ultrahigh vacuum and reveal, for the first time, the existence of lattice oxygen introduced during crystal growth. As a proof-of-concept application, hydrogenation is conducted to remove the lattice oxygen atoms followed by phosphorization, which repairs the phosphorous vacancies caused by mechanical exfoliation and hydrogenation. The resulting FLBP sheets show high ambipolar field-effect mobilities of 1374 cm V s for holes and 607 cm V s for electrons at 2 K. After storage in air for 3 days, the hole and electron mobilities only decrease to 1181 and 518 cm V s, respectively, and no structural degradation is observed. This work suggests an effective means to improve both the mobility and stability of BP sheets rendering practical application of FLBP sheets possible.