Chemical Vapor Deposition Approach Research Articles

Layer Number and Stacking Engineering of MoS2 Crystals for High-Performance Polarization-Sensitive Photodetector.

The layer and stacking engineering of two-dimensional (2D) transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) gives rise to novel phenomena and multiapplications; thus, TMDs have garnered considerable attention. However, the precisely customized fabrication of stacked 2D materials to date is largely limited to the lack of effective and controllable growth strategies, prone to the unpredictable stacking orders and randomly distributed nucleation sites. Here, we devise an optimized chemical vapor deposition approach for modulating the MoS2 single crystals from monolayer to multilayer with diverse stacking configurations. Significantly, the phototransistor based on monolayer MoS2 single crystal exhibits an ultrasensitive performance with a high photoresponsivity (R) of 3.3 × 104 A W-1 and a remarkable detectivity (D*) of above 1.7 × 1014 Jones at 405 nm light illumination. Ultralow-frequency and angle-resolved polarized Raman spectroscopy is used to systematically uncover the delicate interlayer interactions and crystallographic anisotropy. Moreover, the polarization-sensitive photodetectors using 1-3L MoS2 show a layer number-dependent anisotropic performance, with dichroism ratios of 1.36, 1.44, and 1.52. This work offers a promising method to not only enable the fabrication of new customized layer-, stacking-, and twist-2D materials but also provides the foundation for the development of advanced polarization-sensitive and optoelectronic devices based on stacking transitions.

Chemical Vapor Deposited Thin Palladium Sulfide Crystals for Highly Photoresponsive Photodetector

AbstractNonlayered palladium sulfide (PdS) is of interest due to its rich physical properties and promising applications in optoelectronic devices. However, the growth of thin nonlayered PdS remains challenging because of its intrinsic 3D lattice structure. Here, the first demonstration of the direct synthesis of thin rectangular PdS ribbons/flakes on SiO2/Si substrates by a facile chemical vapor deposition (CVD) approach is presented. The atomic structure and high crystalline quality of CVD‐derived PdS crystals are shown by scanning transmission electron microscopy. The nonlinear saturable absorption and absorption enhancement are revealed by using ultrafast optical pump‐probe spectroscopy, and the photocarrier dynamics present the hot phonon bottleneck and Auger recombination effects. Additionally, the Raman vibration modes display the polarization‐dependent properties verified by angle‐resolved polarized Raman spectroscopy. Importantly, the photodetector based on PdS ribbon demonstrates a decent photoresponsivity of ≈7.7 × 103 A W−1. This results provide an effective way to form thin nonlayered PdS with potential applications in the field of photodetection.

Multi-dimensional, multi-interface Fe3C/carbon sheets/carbon tubes nanoarchitecture towards high-performance microwave absorption

The serious problem of electromagnetic (EM) interference brings growing demand for developing high-performance electromagnetic shielding materials. In this study, three-dimensional (3D) Fe3C/carbon/carbon tubes (Fe3C/C/CT) absorber with multi-heterointerface was prepared by a facile self-propagating followed by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) strategy. Initially, Fe3O4 nanoparticles were anchored onto carbon nanosheets through the self-propagating process. After different etching times with diluted acid, CTs with diverse dimensions and quantities were catalyzed by the modified Fe3O4 catalysts during the CVD approach and grown from the carbon sheets. Such a special nanoarchitecture, which consists of carbon sheets and carbon tubes, acts as the source of dielectric loss. Meanwhile, Fe3C nanoparticles provide magnetic loss, and the abundant interfaces facilitate synergistic electromagnetic loss. Moreover, large numbers of heterointerfaces from the unique multidimensional nanoarchitecture significantly enhance the impedance matching and produce abundant dipole polarization. Ultimately, with etching time of 30 min, the Fe3C/C/CT-30 achieves excellent electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption property with a minimum reflection loss of −46.4 dB at 10.56 GHz with a thickness of 3.0 mm. When the thickness is 3.57 mm, the effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) can extend up to 4.48 GHz. Moreover, the practical application of the absorbers was evaluated using radar cross-section (RCS) simulation, indicating that Fe3C/C/CT-30 achieves a maximum RCS reduction value of 58 dBm2. The multi-dimensional and multi-heterointerface absorber presented in this work might offer valuable insights for optimizing electromagnetic absorbers.

Selective Synthesis of 3D Aligned VO2 and V2O5 Carbon Nanotube Hybrid Materials by Chemical Vapor Deposition.

3D carbon nanotube hybrid materials containing VO2 and V2O5 evenly distributed onto vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) is reported. Adjustable loading of particles in controllable sizes onto the VACNTs was developed via a stepwise chemical vapour deposition (CVD) approach. Solid VO(acac)2 is chosen as vanadium source. CO2 acts as reactive gas for the pre-functionalisation of the VACNTs. The process temperature was identified as key parameter to control the deposited vanadium oxide phase. A temperature of 550°C results in monoclinic VO2, while 600 °C results in the deposition of V2O5 onto the VACNT support. The morphology and the amount of deposited material was found to be dependent on the reactor dimensions and the degree of functionalization of the carbon support. An increase of the D/G ratio of the VACNT from 0.75 to 1.08 caused by a CO2 treatment step within the process led to an increase of the particle coverage from a scarce coverage without prior CO2 treatment to a dense coverage of the VACNT support after 15 min of CO2 exposure time. Size and crystallinity of the as deposited particles can be further adjusted by a controlled heat treatment after VO(acac)2 precursor deposition.

CsPbBr3-based photoanode prepared by single-step Chemical vapor deposition of tunable thickness perovskite films

Cesium Lead Bromide (CsPbBr3) perovskite films have gained significant attention in photoelectrochemistry due to their promising properties. However, their widespread application necessitates scalable processing methods to produce high-quality films. Current techniques often involve post-synthesis steps to achieve desirable crystalline films or surface coverage for optimal performance. This research performed a single-step Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) approach to grow high-quality CsPbBr3 films. This methodology offers precise control over film thickness and grain orientation, crucial for optimizing photoelectrochemical response. The procedure simplifies fabrication by bypassing annealing or toxic solvent excess and growing films directly from CsPbBr3 crystals. Film thickness was controlled by adjusting growth time and precursor mass parameters to examine the photoelectrochemical performance across thicknesses ranging from 0.6 µm to 2.5 µm. Optimal results were achieved with dense, compact films 1.5 µm thick, which exhibited oriented grains along the (121) plane. Optical, structural, and morphological analyses confirmed a predominantly pure orthorhombic phase, although slight impurities were noted in thinner films. The 1.5 µm films showed a four-hour stable photocurrent of 6.2 mA/cm2 at 1.23 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) under simulated solar conditions, underscoring their potential in advancing perovskite-based electrodes for efficient photoelectrochemical solar fuel generation.

Synergistic Approach of TiO2@MnZnO3 Heterostructure for Efficient Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting

The superior kinetics of charge carriers and greater visible light absorption are important factors for enhancing photoelectrochemical performance. Herein, the core–shell heterostructure has been developed by encapsulating single-phase MnZnO3 over TiO2 nanotubes by aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition approach. The fabricated photoanodes have been characterized by employing various techniques including X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and photoluminescence. Moreover, the mechanism for electron/hole transfer has been focused by a brief electrochemical investigation. The bilayer 1D/2D TiO2@MnZnO3 photoanode exhibited higher current density (2 mA cm−2) as compared to pristine TiO2-nanotubes (0.174 mA cm−2) at 1.52 V vs RHE. The superior photoactivity of heterostructure is attributed to the rapid transfer of photogenerated charge carriers via the Type-II mechanism. Furthermore, the reduced band gap (2.05 eV) accounts for good absorption in the visible region of light, while the interfacial electric field allowed the improved charge separation. The synergistic strategy in the present work demonstrates the promising significance of a heterojunction interface to optimize photovoltaic devices.

Homo-Site Nucleation Growth of Twisted Bilayer MoS2 with Commensurate Angles.

Moiré superlattices, composed of two layers of transition metal dichalcogenides with a relative twist angle, provide a novel platform for exploring the correlated electronic phases and excitonic physics. Here, a gas-flow perturbation chemical vapor deposition (CVD) approach is demonstrated to directly grow MoS2 bilayer with versatile twist angles. It is found that the formation of twisted bilayer MoS2 homostructures sensitively depends on the gas-flow perturbation modes, correspondingly featuring the nucleation sites of the second layer at the same (homo-site) as or at the different (hetero-site) from that of the first layer. The commensurate twist angle of ≈22° in homo-site nucleation strategy accounts for ≈16% among the broad range of twist angles due to its low formation energy, which is in consistence with the theoretical calculation. More importantly, moiré interlayer excitons with the enhanced photoluminescence (PL) intensity and the prolonged lifetime are evidenced in the twisted bilayer MoS2 with a commensurate angle of 22°, which is owing to the reason that the strong moiré potential facilitates the interlayer excitons to be trapped in the moiré superlattices. The work provides a feasible route to controllably built twisted MoS2 homostructures with strong moiré potential to investigate the correlated physics in twistronics systems.

Effect of gadolinia–stabilized zirconia nanoparticles manufactured from Mist CVD on the mechanical properties of ceramics sintered by SPS

Zirconia is an engineering ceramic material with excellent comprehensive properties. However, it suffers from the inherent disadvantage of low fracture toughness. To improve its fracture toughness, Gd2O3 is an effective stabilizer. In the present study, Gd2O3–ZrO2 composite powders were synthesized using the Mist CVD method. Following synthesis, these powders were pressed through spark plasma sintering. The crystallinity of the Gd2O3–ZrO2 powders improved as the deposition temperature increased from 600°C to 900°C. The tetragonality (c/2a) of the Gd–TZP composites increased from 0.99941 to 1.01571 as the Gd2O3 content increased from 2 mol% to 4 mol%, but it decreased when the content reached 5 mol%. The Gd2O3–ZrO2 nanoparticles produced via the Mist CVD approach presented a unique hollow spherical structure. Under moist chemical vapor deposition (CVD) conditions with 4 mol% Gd2O3 at 1400°C, the Gd–TZP composites exhibited fracture toughness and hardness values of approximately 12.03 ± 0.15 MPa·m1/2 and 12.16 ± 0.17 GPa, respectively.

Precursor‐Mediated Direct Growth of Defect‐Rich Hierarchical Nanocarbons for Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Peroxide Production†

Comprehensive SummaryCarbon‐based nanomaterials show great potential in selective electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) through two‐electron (2e−) pathway for H2O2 production, which provides an eco‐friendly alternative to industrial energy‐intensive anthraquinone process. However, it still remains challenging to directly construct topological defects, which makes it difficult to study the working mechanism on 2e– ORR. Herein, we propose a precursor‐mediated chemical vapor deposition (CVD) approach for direct growth of topological defect‐rich hierarchical nanocarbons. Boric acid (H3BO3) is introduced into the precursor for disturbing the nucleation and growth through decomposing B‐containing species, which can in situ induce the formation of pentagon defects. The topological defect is found to be capable of introducing lattice strain, which can modify the electronic structure of nanocarbons and promote the key intermediate (*OOH) formation, thus greatly enhancing the 2e– ORR performance. Experimentally, the 2e– ORR selectivity shows a positive correlation to the topological defect density, where the average H2O2 selectivity reaches above 90% over a wide potential range with optimized concentration of H3BO3 as mediator. Moreover, in a flow cell, the hierarchical nanocarbons achieve a high H2O2 production rate of 998 mmol·gcatalyst−1·h−1 over 20 h of continuous electrocatalysis with stable current density (>100 mA·cm–2) and Faradaic efficiency (> 90%). This work provides a straightforward method for the synthesis of active metal‐free carbon‐based catalyst for sustainable H2O2 production.

High performance Pt-anchored MoS2 based chemiresistive ascorbic acid sensor

Ascorbic acid (AA), known as vitamin C, is a vital bioactive compound that plays a crucial role in several metabolic processes, including the synthesis of collagen and neurotransmitters, the removal of harmful free radicals, and the uptake of iron by cells in the human intestines. As a result, there is an absolute need for a highly selective, sensitive, and economically viable sensing platform for AA detection. Herein, we demonstrate a Pt-decorated MoS2 for efficient detection of an AA biosensor. MoS2 hollow rectangular structures were synthesized using an easy and inexpensive chemical vapor deposition approach to meet the increasing need for a reliable detection platform. The synthesized MoS2 hollow rectangular structures are characterized through field effect scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy elemental mapping, Raman spectroscopy, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. We fabricate a chemiresistive biosensor based on Pt-decorated MoS2 that measures AA with great precision and high sensitivity. The experiments were designed to evaluate the response of the Pt-decorated MoS2 biosensor in the presence and absence of AA, and selectivity was evaluated for a variety of biomolecules, and it was observed to be very selective towards AA. The Pt-MoS2 device had a higher response of 125% against 1 mM concentration of AA biomolecules, when compared to that of all other devices and 2.2 times higher than that of the pristine MoS2 device. The outcomes of this study demonstrate the efficacy of Pt-decorated MoS2 as a promising material for AA detection. This research contributes to the ongoing efforts to enhance our capabilities in monitoring and detecting AA, fostering advancements in environmental, biomedical, and industrial applications.

Graphene-Enhanced UV-C LEDs.

Light-emitting diodes in the UV-C spectral range (UV-C LEDs) can potentially replace bulky and toxic mercury lamps in a wide range of applications including sterilization and water purification. Several obstacles still limit the efficiencies of UV-C LEDs. Devices in flip-chip geometry suffer from a huge difference in the work functions between the p-AlGaN and high-reflective Al mirrors, whereas the absence of UV-C transparent current spreading layers limits the development of UV-C LEDs in standard geometry. Here it is demonstrated that transfer-free graphene implemented directly onto the p-AlGaN top layer by a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition approach enables highly efficient 275nm UV-C LEDs in both, flip-chip and standard geometry. In flip-chip geometry, the graphene acts as a contact interlayer between the Al-mirror and the p-AlGaN enabling an external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 9.5% and a wall-plug efficiency (WPE) of 5.5% at 8V. Graphene combined with a ≈1nm NiOx support layer allows a turn-on voltage <5V. In standard geometry graphene acts as a current spreading layer on a length scale up to 1mm. These top-emitting devices exhibit a EQE of 2.1% at 8.7V and a WPE of 1.1%.

Advancements in the Synthesis and Functionalization of Zinc Oxide-Based Nanomaterials for Enhanced Oral Cancer Therapy.

The fabrication of zinc oxide-based nanomaterials (including natural and synthetic polymers like sulfated polysaccharide, chitosan, and polymethyl methacrylate) has potential to improve oral cancer treatment strategies. This comprehensive review explores the diverse synthesis methods employed to fabricate zinc oxide nanomaterials tailored for oral cancer applications. Several synthesis processes, particularly sol-gel, hydrothermal, and chemical vapor deposition approaches, are thoroughly studied, highlighting their advantages and limitations. The review also examines how synthesis parameters, such as precursor selection, the reaction temperature, and growth conditions, influence both the physicochemical attributes and biological efficacy of the resulting nanomaterials. Furthermore, recent advancements in surface functionalization and modification strategies targeted at improving the targeting specificity and pharmaceutical effectiveness of zinc oxide-based nanomaterials in oral cancer therapy are elucidated. Additionally, the review provides insights into the existing issues and prospective views in the field, emphasizing the need for further research to optimize synthesis methodologies and elucidate the mechanisms underlying the efficacy of zinc oxide-based nanoparticles in oral cancer therapy.

Deformed graphene FET biosensor on textured glass coupled with dielectrophoretic trapping for ultrasensitive detection of GFAP

Numerous efforts have been undertaken to mitigate the Debye screening effect of FET biosensors for achieving higher sensitivity. There are few reports that show sub-femtomolar detection of biomolecules by FET mechanisms but they either suffer from significant background noise or lack robust control. In this aspect, deformed/crumpled graphene has been recently deployed by other researchers for various biomolecule detection like DNA, COVID-19 spike proteins and immunity markers like IL-6 at sub-femtomolar levels. However, the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) approach for graphene fabrication suffers from various surface contamination while the transfer process induces structural defects. In this paper, an alternative fabrication methodology has been proposed where glass substrate has been initially texturized by wet chemical etching through the sacrificial layer of synthesized silver nanoparticles, obtained by annealing of thin silver films leading to solid state dewetting. Graphene has been subsequently deposited by thermal reduction technique from graphene oxide solution. The resulting deformed graphene structure exhibits higher sensor response towards glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) detection with respect to flat graphene owing to the combined effect of reduced Debye screening and higher surface area for receptor immobilization. Additionally, another interesting aspect of the reported work lies in the biomolecule capture by dielectrophoretic (DEP) transport on the crests of the convex surfaces of graphene in a coplanar gated topology structure which has resulted in 10 aM and 28 aM detection limits of GFAP in buffer and undiluted plasma respectively, within 15 min of application of analyte. The detection limit in buffer is almost four decades lower than that documented for GFAP using biosensors which is is expected to pave way for advancing graphene FET based sensors towards ultrasensitive point-of-care diagnosis of GFAP, a biomarker for traumatic brain injury.

Red–Green–Blue Light Emission from Composition Tunable Semiconductor Micro‐Tripods

AbstractMicro/nanoscale lasers that span the entire visible spectrum, especially those in red, green, and blue colors, are not only essential for a variety of optical devices but also have important applications in visible color communication, multi‐color fluorescence sensing, and wavelength division multiplexing. Despite the great efforts made to achieve multi‐color lasing using a variety of approaches, on‐chip white light emission and even red, green, and blue multi‐color lasers still suffer from considerable challenges in micro‐nano structures. Here, CdSxSe1−x, CdS, and ZnS micro‐tripod structures are successfully prepared using chemical vapor deposition approaches. The micro‐photoluminescence (µ‐PL) spectra and PL‐mapping of these micro‐tripods reveal various emissions at 630, 508, and 460 nm, respectively. Additionally, white‐light emissions based on these composition‐tunable tripods are realized through an end‐coupling structure system. Moreover, room‐temperature modes tunable lasers are observed clearly from three legs of these micro‐tripods, with a low threshold of ≈48.39 µJ cm−2 and a high quality factor of 1227.3. The realization of micro‐tripods‐based lasers may provide an innovative way for highly integrated photonic circuits and communications.

Oxygen Driven Defect Engineering of Monolayer MoS2 for Tunable Electronic, Optoelectronic, and Electrochemical Devices

AbstractMolybdenum disulfide (MoS2), a two‐dimensional (2D) semiconducting material harbors intrinsic defects that can be harnessed to achieve tuneable electronic, optoelectronic, and electrochemical devices. However, achieving precise control over defect formation within monolayer MoS2, remains a notable challenge. Here, an in‐situ defect engineering approach for monolayer MoS2 using a pressure‐dependent chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process is presented. Monolayer MoS2 grown in a low pressure CVD conditions (LP‐MoS2) produces sulfur vacancy (Vs) induced defect‐rich crystals primarily attributed to the oxygen‐deficient growth conditions. Conversely, atmospheric pressure CVD‐grown MoS2 (AP‐MoS2) passivates these defects with oxygen from ambient conditions. This disparity in defect profiles profoundly impacts crucial functional properties and device performance. AP‐MoS2 shows a drastically enhanced photoluminescence, which is significantly quenched in LP‐MoS2 attributed to in‐gap electron donor states induced by the Vs defects. However, the n‐doping induced in LP‐MoS2 generates enhanced photoresponsivity and detectivity in fabricated photodetectors compared to the AP‐MoS2‐based devices. Defect‐rich LP‐MoS2 outperforms AP‐MoS2 as channel layers of field‐effect transistors (FETs), as well as electrocatalytic material for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). This work presents a single‐step CVD approach for in situ defect engineering in monolayer MoS2 and presents a pathway to control defects in other monolayer 2D materials.

Phase and Composition Engineering of Self-Intercalated 2D Metallic Tantalum Sulfide for Second-Harmonic Generation.

Self-intercalation in two-dimensional (2D) materials is significant, as it offers a versatile approach to modify material properties, enabling the creation of interesting functional materials, which is essential in advancing applications across various fields. Here, we define ic-2D materials as covalently bonded compounds that result from the self-intercalation of a metal into layered 2D compounds. However, precisely growing ic-2D materials with controllable phases and self-intercalation concentrations to fully exploit the applications in the ic-2D family remains a great challenge. Herein, we demonstrated the controlled synthesis of self-intercalated H-phase and T-phase Ta1+xS2 via a temperature-driven chemical vapor deposition (CVD) approach with a viable intercalation concentration spanning from 10% to 58%. Atomic-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy-annular dark field imaging demonstrated that the self-intercalated Ta atoms occupy the octahedral vacancies located at the van der Waals gap. The nonperiodic Ta atoms break the centrosymmetry structure and Fermi surface properties of intrinsic TaS2. Therefore, ic-2D T-phase Ta1+xS2 consistently exhibit a spontaneous nonlinear optical (NLO) effect regardless of the sample thickness and self-intercalation concentrations. Our results propose an approach to activate the NLO response of centrosymmetric 2D materials, achieving the modulation of a wide range of optoelectronic properties via nonperiodic self-intercalation in the ic-2D family.

Controlled Growth of Submillimeter-Scale Cr5Te8 Nanosheets and the Domain Wall Nucleation Governed Magnetization Reversal Process.

Two-dimensional (2D) ferromagnets have attracted widespread attention for promising applications in compact spintronic devices. However, the controlled synthesis of high-quality, large-sized, and ultrathin 2D magnets via facile, economical method remains challenging. Herein, we develop a hydrogen-tailored chemical vapor deposition approach to fabricating 2D Cr5Te8 ferromagnetic nanosheets. Interestingly, the time period of introducing hydrogen was found to be crucial for controlling the lateral size, and a Cr5Te8 single-crystalline nanosheet of lateral size up to ∼360 μm with single-unit-cell thickness has been obtained. These samples exhibit a leading role of domain wall nucleation in governing the magnetization reversal process, providing important references for optimizing the performances of associated devices. The nanosheets also show notable magnetotransport response, including nonmonotonous magnetic-field-dependent magnetoresistance and sizable anomalous Hall resistivity, demonstrating Cr5Te8 as a promising material for constructing high-performance magnetoelectronic devices. This study presents a breakthrough of large-sized CVD-grown 2D magnetic materials, which is indispensable for constructing 2D spintronic devices.

Prediction of Zn2(V, Nb, Ta)N3 Monolayers for Optoelectronic Applications.

A new family of ternary nitride materials, Zn2(V, Nb, Ta)N3 monolayers, is predicted. A fabrication mechanism of the Zn2(V, Nb, Ta)N3 monolayers is proposed based on the chemical vapor deposition approach used for their bulk counterparts. The calculations show that these monolayers are thermodynamically and environmentally stable and that the Zn2VN3 monolayer is the most stable and the easiest to synthesize. The Zn2VN3 monolayer also has the highest strength and elasticity. The Zn2(V, Nb, Ta)N3 monolayers are semiconductors with nearly equal direct and indirect band gaps. Considering optoelectronic properties, the predicted monolayers are transparent to the visible light and provide shielding in the ultraviolet region. Thus, the predicted Zn2(V, Nb, Ta)N3 monolayers are promising for applications in LED devices and as blocking layers in tandem solar cells.

Solutions Are the Problem: Ordered Two-Dimensional Covalent Organic Framework Films by Chemical Vapor Deposition.

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are a promising class of crystalline polymer networks that are useful due to their high porosity, versatile functionality, and tunable architecture. Conventional solution-based methods of producing COFs are marred by slow reactions that produce powders that are difficult to process into adaptable form factors for functional applications, and there is a need for facile and fast synthesis techniques for making crystalline and ordered covalent organic framework (COF) thin films. In this work, we report a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) approach utilizing co-evaporation of two monomers onto a heated substrate to produce highly crystalline, defect-free COF films and coatings with hydrazone, imine, and ketoenamine COF linkages. This all-in-one synthesis technique produces highly crystalline, 40 nm-1 μm-thick COF films on Si/SiO2 substrates in less than 30 min. Crystallinity and alignment were proven by using a combination of grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and successful conversion of the monomers to produce the target COF was supported by Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and UV-vis measurements. Additionally, we used atomic force microscopy (AFM) to investigate the growth mechanisms of these films, showing the coalescence of triangular crystallites into a smooth film. To show the wide applicability and scope of the CVD process, we also prepared crystalline ordered COF films with imine and ketoenamine linkages. These films show potential as high-quality size exclusion membranes, catalytic platforms, and organic transistors.

Toward Edge Engineering of Two-Dimensional Layered Transition-Metal Dichalcogenides by Chemical Vapor Deposition.

The manipulation of edge configurations and structures in atomically-thin transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) for versatile functionalization has attracted intensive interest in recent years. The chemical vapor deposition (CVD) approach has shown promise for TMD edge engineering of atomic edge configurations (1H, 1T or 1T'-zigzag or armchair edges) as well as diverse edge morphologies (1D nanoribbons, 2D dendrites, 3D spirals, etc.). These edge-rich TMD layers offer versatile candidates for probing the physical and chemical properties and exploring potential applications in electronics, optoelectronics, catalysis, sensing, and quantum technologies. In this Review, we present an overview of the current state-of-the-art in the manipulation of TMD atomic edges and edge-rich structures using CVD. We highlight the vast range of distinct properties associated with these edge configurations and structures and provide insights into the opportunities afforded by such edge-functionalized crystals. The objective of this Review is to motivate further research and development efforts to use CVD as a scalable approach to harness the benefits of such crystal-edge engineering.