Edges are more electroactive than basal planes in synthetic bulk crystals of TiS2 and TiSe2
Authors/Creators
- 1. uture Energy and Innovation Laboratory, Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Purkyňova 123, Brno 61200, Czech Republic Institute of Analytical Chemistry, Chemo- and Biosensors, University of Regensburg, Regensburg 93053, Germany
- 2. Future Energy and Innovation Laboratory, Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Purkyňova 123, Brno 61200, Czech Republic
- 3. Institute of Analytical Chemistry, Chemo- and Biosensors, University of Regensburg, Regensburg 93053, Germany
- 4. Future Energy and Innovation Laboratory, Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Purkyňova 123, Brno 61200, Czech Republic 3D Printing and Innovation Hub, Department of Food Technology, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, Brno CZ-613 00, Czech Republic Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Yonsei University, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 03722, Korea Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, No. 91 Hsueh-Shih Road, Taichung 40402, Taiwan
Description
Layered materials and derived 2D material couples such as graphite/graphene, layered and single layer pnictogens (i.e., black phosphorus and phosphorene) and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have gained a lot of attention due to their electrocatalytic properties and as potential materials for energy storage. Previous studies have shown that electrochemical reactions at graphite, MoS2 and pnictogens mainly occur at the edges and steps of crystals rather than on the basal plane. The persisting question is if this is a general trend in nature within bulk crystals of 2D materials. To come closer to the answer to this question, we studied the surface of artificially grown TiS2 and TiSe2 crystals regarding their local electrochemical activity via scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM). Both TMDs have shown increased electrochemical activity near crystal steps/edges. For correlation, optical and topographical analysis were performed via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). We show that the increased electrochemical activity at edges is persistent for these layered crystalline materials, thus expanding the knowledge their properties, which is important for future application in the energy sector.
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