Synthesis and Functionalization of Transition Metal Dichalcogenides 2D Materials: Electrodes Design for Sensing Applications

包括过渡金属二硫族化合物（TMDCs）在内的电活性二维（2D）材料由于其独特的物理和电化学特性而引起了广泛和日益增长的研究兴趣，这使得它们在电子、光电子、电化学和传感器件中得到了广泛的应用。目前TMDCs的合成策略主要依赖于自上而下的方法，如蚀刻和剥离。然而，基于自下而上方法的化学气相沉积（CVD）生长工艺更有可能生产出缺陷更少、化学成分更均匀、短期和长期有序的TMDCs纳米结构。自底向上的合成方法是指将纳米结构通过原子相互堆叠直接合成到所需的衬底上，从而产生晶体平面，从而合成纳米结构。在文献中自下而上的方法中，缺乏对二维材料生长机制的系统理解，而一维材料的生长机制已经被很好地理解。迄今为止，独立2D材料的生长设计仍然是个案实践。******因此，在提出的计划中，将解决以下关键挑战：(i)利用CVD工艺，高质量、高效率地可控合成TMDCs二维材料，用于大规模应用。（ii）了解TMDCs二维材料的生长动态。这些研究将为实验观察提供机理和解释，并为改进材料质量提供有益的建议。（iii）寻找生长过程中成核和边缘重建的最佳条件，并预测在不同基质上生长的二维TMDCs材料的结构和稳定性。这样的指导对实验人员改进他们的生长过程或探索创新技术是有价值的。（iv） TMDCs二维材料功能化和电极制造，以设计用于环境监测的高性能传感器TMDCs。******这个雄心勃勃的目标定义了一个特殊的机会，加入国际努力，绘制TMDCs 2D材料家族，并绘制其属性，目前正在进行中。拟议的研究计划将通过使用CVD方法提供新一代二维材料的可扩展合成的系统和全面的介绍。该项目将在TMDCs二维材料工程方面取得突破性进展，旨在培养高素质人才，以满足学术界和工业界的科技需求；开发具体的应用，以满足加拿大社会的需求，为实现未来的技术平台做出贡献，并肯定加拿大在纳米技术研究和开发方面的领导地位

Elecroactive two-dimensional (2D) materials including transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) have attracted extensive and growing research interest owing to their exotic physical and electrochemical properties, which have enabled their applications in electronics, optoelectronics, electrochemical and sensing devices. Current synthesis strategies for TMDCs rely largely on top-down approaches such as etching and exfoliation. However, the bottom-up approach based chemical vapour deposition (CVD) growth processes has a better chance of producing TMDCs nanostructures with less defects, more homogenous chemical composition, and better short- and long-range ordering. A bottom-up synthesis method implies that the nanostructures are synthesized directly onto a desired substrate by stacking atoms onto each other, which gives rise to crystal planes and resulting in the synthesis of the nanostructures. Among bottom-up approaches in literature, there lacks a systematic understanding of the mechanisms of 2D materials growth, unlike one-dimensional materials whose growth mechanisms have been well understood. To date, the growth design of freestanding 2D materials remain a case-by-case practice. ******Therefore, in the proposed program the following key challenges will be addressed: (i) Controllable synthesis of TMDCs 2D materials with high quality and high efficiency for large-scale applications by using CVD processes. (ii) Understanding the growth dynamics of TMDCs 2D materials. These studies will provide mechanisms and explanations for experimental observations and useful suggestions for material quality improvement. (iii) Finding the optimal conditions for nucleation and edge reconstruction during growth, as well as predict the structure and stability of TMDCs 2D materials grown on different substrates. Such guidance is valuable for experimentalists to improve their growth processes or to explore innovative techniques. (iv) TMDCs 2D materials functionalization and electrodes fabrication to design high performance sensors based TMDCs for environmental monitoring.******This ambitious goal defines a special opportunity to join the international effort to map out the TMDCs 2D materials family and to chart their properties that is only now underway. The proposed research program will provide a systematic and comprehensive introduction of scalable synthesis of this new geration of 2D materials by using CVD methods. Such project will result in groundbreaking advancements in TMDCs 2D materials engineering with the aim of training highly qualified personnel to respond to the scientific and technological demands in academia and industry; developing concrete applications to address the needs of Canadian society and contributing towards the realization of the technology platform of the future and affirming Canada's role as a leader in nanotechnology research and development.***