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

包括过渡金属二卤化物(TMDCs)在内的电活性二维(2D)材料因其奇异的物理和电化学性质，在电子学、光电子学、电化学和传感器件等领域得到了广泛而广泛的研究。目前的TMDCs的合成策略主要依赖于自顶向下的方法，如蚀刻和剥离。然而，基于自下而上方法的化学气相沉积(CVD)生长工艺更有可能获得缺陷更少、化学成分更均匀以及更好的短程和长程有序化的TMDCs纳米结构。自下而上的合成方法意味着通过相互堆积原子将纳米结构直接合成到所需的衬底上，从而产生晶面并导致纳米结构的合成。在文献中自下而上的方法中，对二维材料的生长机制缺乏系统的了解，而不像一维材料的生长机制已经被很好地理解。到目前为止，独立的二维材料的增长设计仍然是逐个案例的实践。*因此，在拟议的计划中，将解决以下关键挑战：(I)利用CVD工艺可控地合成高质量和高效率的TMDDC 2D材料，以用于大规模应用。(2)了解TMDCs 2D材料的生长动力学。这些研究将为实验观察提供机制和解释，并为材料质量改进提供有用的建议。(Iii)寻找生长过程中成核和边缘重建的最佳条件，并预测在不同衬底上生长的TMDCs 2D材料的结构和稳定性。这样的指导对于实验者改进他们的成长过程或探索创新技术是有价值的。TMDCs 2D材料功能化和电极制造，以设计用于环境监测的基于高性能传感器的TMDCs。*这一雄心勃勃的目标定义了一个特殊的机会，可以加入到绘制TMDCs 2D材料家族和绘制其性能图表的国际努力中，这一努力目前才在进行中。拟议的研究计划将系统和全面地介绍利用CVD方法可扩展合成这种新的2D材料的方法。这样的项目将导致TMDDC 2D材料工程的突破性进展，目的是培养高素质的人员，以满足学术界和工业界的科学和技术需求；开发具体的应用程序，以满足加拿大社会的需求，并为实现未来的技术平台做出贡献，并确认加拿大作为纳米技术研究和开发的领导者的角色。*

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.***