Electrostatic-Driven Exfoliation and Hybridization of 2D Nanomaterials.

Abstract

Here, direct and effective electrostatic-driven exfoliation of tungsten trioxide (WO3 ) powder into atomically thin WO3 nanosheets is demonstrated for the first time. Experimental evidence together with theoretical simulations clearly reveal that the strong binding of bovine serum albumin (BSA) on the surface of WO3 via the protonation of NH2 groups in acidic conditions leads to the effective exfoliation of WO3 nanosheets under sonication. The exfoliated WO3 nanosheets have a greatly improved dispersity and stability due to surface-protective function of BSA, and exhibit a better performance and unique advantages in applications such as visible-light-driven photocatalysis, high-capacity adsorption, and fast electrochromics. Further, simultaneous exfoliation and hybridization of WO3 and MoS2 nanosheets are demonstrated to form hybrid WO3 /MoS2 nanosheets through respective electrostatic and hydrophobic interaction processes. In addition, this electrostatic-driven exfoliation strategy is applied to exfoliate ultrathin black-phosphorus nanosheets from its bulk to exhibit a greatly improved stability due to the surface protection by BSA. Overall, the work presented not only presents a facile and effective route to fabricate 2D materials but also brings more opportunities to exploit unusual exotic and synergistic properties in resulting hybrid 2D materials for novel applications.