Materials scientists at Rice University are shedding light on the intricate growth processes of 2D crystals, paving the way for controlled synthesis of these materials with unprecedented precision.
Two-dimensional materials such as graphene and molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) exhibit unique properties that hold immense promise for applications in electronics, sensors, energy storage, biomedicine and more. However, their complex growth mechanisms—inconsistent correlations exist between how the conditions for growth affect the shapes of crystals—have posed a significant challenge for researchers.
A research team at Rice's George R. Brown School of Engineering tackled this challenge by developing a custom-built miniaturized chemical vapor deposition (CVD) system capable of observing and recording the growth of 2D MoS2 crystals in real time. The work is published online in the journal Nano Letters.
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