Abstract:

In this paper, we address the challenge of identifying grain boundaries on the molybdenum disulphide (MoS 2 ) surface at the nanometre scale using a simple self-assembled monolayer (SAM) decoration method. Combined with atomic force microscopy, octadecylphosphonic acid monolayers readily reveal grain boundaries in MoS 2 at ambient conditions, without the need of atomic resolution measurements under vacuum. Additional ab initio calculations allow us to obtain the preferred orientation of the SAM structure relative to the MoS 2 beneath, and therefore, together with the experiments, the MoS 2 crystalline orientations at the grain boundaries. The proposed method enables the visualization of grain boundaries with sub-micrometer resolution for nanodevice investigation and failure analysis.

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