Narrow Results

Nanoparticles (NPs) with high uniformity have been extensively investigated for their excellent chemical stability. Near-monodisperse globular MoS₂ NPs were prepared with sulphur powders (SPs) as a sulphur source by a one-pot polyol-mediated process without surfactants, transfer agents and toxic agents at 170–190${}^{\circ }$C. The as-processed SPs greatly affected the formation of the MoS₂ NPs after low-activity sulphur (S₈)_n was reassembled from common SPs (S${}_8)$. The average size of MoS₂ NPs can be reduced remarkably from 100–200nm to 50nm by introducing low amounts of MnCl₂. A preliminary four-step growth mechanism based on the aggregation-coalescence model was also proposed. This green and simple method may be an alternative to the common hot-injection and heating-up methods for the preparation of monodisperse NPs, particularly transition metal dichalogenides.