One Pot, Environmentally Benign, Thermal Reaction to Fabricate WSe2 and MoSe2 Nanoplates

The two dimensional nanoplates of WSe2 and MoSe2 are the result of solid-state thermal (750 degrees C) reaction between micro meter-sized W or Mo with micro-size Se powder under inert atmosphere via carving phenomena in a closed reactor. This is a distinct top-down approach presented for the fabrication of inorganic nanoplates, where micron-sized metal particles having very high melting and boiling points are converted into a Se-M-Se sandwich structure employing a single-step, scalable, and environmentally-friendly chemical reaction under autogenic pressure at elevated temperature (RAPET). The mechanistic elucidation of the creation of WSe2/MoSe2 nanoplates is suggested on the basis of the crystal structure with the support of data obtained from compositional, structural, and morphological characterizations.