In recent years, various functionalization strategies
for transition-metal dichalcogenides have been explored to
tailor the properties of materials and to provide anchor points
for the fabrication of hybrid structures. Herein, new insights
into the role of the surfactant in functionalization reactions are
described. Using the spontaneous reaction of WS
2 with
chloroauric acid as a model reaction, the regioselective
formation of gold nanoparticles on WS
2 is shown to be heavily
dependent on the surfactant employed. A simple model is
developed to explain the role of the chosen surfactant in this
heterogeneous functionalization reaction. The surfactant coverage
is identified as the crucial element that governs the
dominant reaction pathway and therefore can severely alter the
reaction outcome. This study shows the general importance of
the surfactant choice and how detrimental or beneficial
a certain surfactant can be to the desired functionalization.
«In recent years, various functionalization strategies
for transition-metal dichalcogenides have been explored to
tailor the properties of materials and to provide anchor points
for the fabrication of hybrid structures. Herein, new insights
into the role of the surfactant in functionalization reactions are
described. Using the spontaneous reaction of WS
2 with
chloroauric acid as a model reaction, the regioselective
formation of gold nanoparticles on WS
2 is shown to be heavily
depe...
»