Mixed Low-Dimensional Nanomaterial: 2D Ultranarrow MoS₂ Inorganic Nanoribbons Encapsulated in Quasi-1D Carbon Nanotubes

Abstract

Quasi-one-dimensional nanotubes and two-dimensional nanoribbons are two fundamental forms of nanostructures, and integrating them into a novel mixed low-dimensional nanomaterial is fascinating and challenging. We have synthesized a stable mixed low-dimensional nanomaterial consisting of MoS(2) inorganic nanoribbons encapsulated in carbon nanotubes (which we call nanoburritos). This route can be extended to the synthesis of nanoburritos composed of other ultranarrow transition-metal chalcogenide nanoribbons and carbon nanotubes. The widths of previously synthesized MoS(2) ribbons are greater than 50 nm, while the encapsulated MoS(2) nanoribbons have uniform widths down to 1-4 nm and layer numbers down to 1-3, depending on the nanotube diameter. The edges of the MoS(2) nanoribbons have been identified as zigzag-shaped using both high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and density functional theory calculations.

Functionalization of MoS2 with 1,2-dithiolanes: toward donor-acceptor nanohybrids for energy conversion

“…3a, b). Although the edge structure is difficult to be determined conclusively, there is evidently strong preference for zig-zag edge orientation, consistent with theoretical predictions 38,39 and experimentally observed structures, [39][40][41][42][43] suggesting that 50% S and 100% S saturated zigzag molybdenum-edges should be thermodynamically preferred. [43][44][45] The HRTEM images also show the presence of material at the edges, which may correspond to carbonaceous species.…”

Carbon Nanotubes as Electrically Active Nanoreactors for Multi-Step Inorganic Synthesis: Sequential Transformations of Molecules to Nanoclusters and Nanoclusters to Nanoribbons

“…Molybdenum and tungsten sulphide nanoribbons have recently attracted significant attention due to a range of functional electronic properties. In our experiments, the transformation of n·[M6I14] 2-@SWNT 2n+ to [MS2]n@SWNT proceeds smoothly and efficiently, with no loss of material from SWNT and with most nanotubes filled with well-ordered crystalline structures of hexagonal MoS2 and WS2 (Fig 5 and 6, Supporting video 3) similar to those reported in the literature [38,39]. The width of the nanoribbon is strictly controlled by the nanotube diameter, with their edges adopting a perfect zigzag conformation in most cases (Fig 5e and 6a), but occasional edge defects were found in some nanoribbons (Fig 5f).…”

Green's function approach to edge states in transition metal dichalcogenides

“…As graphene has a relatively simple electronic structure, some features of the edge states in graphene can be studied by analytical or simple numerical techniques [23][24][25]. The edges of MoS 2 have attracted renewed attention recently [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33]. Here, the complexity of the electronic structure requires more extensive models, even for relatively simple modeling at the tight-binding level [34,35], or at the continuum level [36,37].…”