Synthesis of Transition Metal Dichalcogenides (TMDs)

Two-dimensional (2D) materials or van der Waals materials typically have strong in-plane covalent bonds and weak out-of-plane van der Waals forces. The van der Waals materials form stable atomically-thin structures. Graphene can be produced via mechanical exfoliation from highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG), from which many unique and superior properties have been revealed. The graphene research's success and the lack of semiconductor properties have led to the exploration of other inorganic 2D materials beyond graphene. These materials include transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), phosphorene, and MXene. TMDs have attracted considerable attention as core materials for next-generation semiconductor devices owing to their unique electrical, mechanical, chemical, and optical properties. This chapter discusses several methods to synthesize TMDs and to manipulate the properties of TMDs.