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Nanostructured tungsten sulfides: insights into precursor decomposition and the microstructure using X-ray scattering

Sebastian Mangelsen¹, Bikshandarkoil R Srinivasan, Ulrich Schürmann

¹Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Kiel University, Max-Eyth Straβe 2, D-24118 Kiel, Germany. wbensch@ac.uni-kiel.de.

Dalton Transactions (Cambridge, England : 2003)

|December 13, 2018

Summary

Researchers studied tungsten disulfide (WS2) nanoparticles derived from a novel precursor. They detailed the decomposition mechanism and characterized the resulting WS2 microstructure, revealing unique stacking disorder distinct from bulk materials.

Area of Science:

Materials Science
Nanotechnology
Solid-State Chemistry

Background:

Tungsten disulfide (WS2) is a layered material with applications in catalysis and electronics.
Understanding the synthesis and microstructure of WS2 nanomaterials is crucial for optimizing their properties.
Precursor-directed synthesis offers a route to control nanomaterial characteristics.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the decomposition mechanism of a novel tetrathiotungstate precursor.
To characterize the micro- and local structures of the resulting tungsten disulfide (WS2) nanoparticles.
To elucidate the structural disorder in nanosized WS2 and compare it to bulk WS2.

Main Methods:

Synthesis of a new precursor: (N2H5)2WS4.
In situ and ex situ analytical techniques to study decomposition.
X-ray diffraction (XRD) and total scattering data.
Pair distribution function (PDF) analysis for microstructure determination.

Main Results:

A novel decomposition pathway was identified, involving intermediate compounds like (NH4)(N2H5)WS4 and (NH4)2WS4.
Nanosized WS2 was obtained via thermal decomposition through amorphous WS3.
Microstructure analysis revealed significant disorder, including stacking faults and random layer shifts (turbostratic disorder).
The observed disorder in nanosized WS2 differs from the stacking faults found in bulk WS2.

Conclusions:

The study details a unique thermal decomposition route for tungsten disulfide (WS2) synthesis.
The microstructure of precursor-derived WS2 nanoparticles exhibits significant turbostratic disorder.
This finding highlights the distinct structural features of nanomaterials compared to their bulk counterparts.

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