Scalable Patterning of MoS2Nanoribbons by Micromolding in Capillaries

In this study, we report a facile approach to prepare dense arrays of MoS2 nanoribbons by combining procedures of micromolding in capillaries (MIMIC) and thermolysis of thiosalts ((NH4)2MoS4) as the printing ink. The obtained MoS2 nanoribbons had a thickness reaching as low as 3.9 nm, a width ranging from 157 to 465 nm, and a length up to 2 cm. MoS2 nanoribbons with an extremely high aspect ratio (length/width) of ∼7.4 × 108 were achieved. The MoS2 pattern can be printed on versatile substrates, such as SiO2/Si, sapphire, Au film, FTO/glass, and graphene-coated glass. The degree of crystallinity of the as-prepared MoS2 was discovered to be adjustable by varying the temperature through postannealing. The high-temperature thermolysis (1000 °C) results in high-quality conductive samples, and field-effect transistors based on the patterned MoS2 nanoribbons were demonstrated and characterized, where the carrier mobility was comparable to that of thin-film MoS2. In contrast, the low-temperature-treated samples (170 °C) result in a unique nanocrystalline MoSx structure (x ≈ 2.5), where the abundant and exposed edge sites were obtained from highly dense arrays of nanoribbon structures by this MIMIC patterning method. The patterned MoSx was revealed to have superior electrocatalytic efficiency (an overpotential of ∼211 mV at 10 mA/cm2 and a Tafel slope of 43 mV/dec) in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) when compared to the thin-film MoS2. The report introduces a new concept for rapidly fabricating cost-effective and high-density MoS2/MoSx nanostructures on versatile substrates, which may pave the way for potential applications in nanoelectronics/optoelectronics and frontier energy materials. © 2016 American Chemical Society.