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Evaluating the Surface Chemistry of Black Phosphorus during Ambient Degradation
journal contribution
posted on 2019-01-14, 00:00 authored by Maart van Druenen, Fionán Davitt, Timothy Collins, Colm Glynn, Colm O’Dwyer, Justin D. Holmes, Gillian CollinsBlack
phosphorus (BP) is emerging as a promising candidate for
electronic, optical, and energy storage applications. However, its
poor ambient stability remains a critical challenge. Evaluation of
few-layer liquid-exfoliated BP during ambient exposure using X-ray
photoelectron spectroscopy and attenuated total reflectance Fourier
transform infrared spectroscopy allows its surface chemistry to be
investigated. Oxidation of liquid-exfoliated few-layer BP initially
occurs through nonbridging oxide species, which convert to bridging
oxide species after ambient exposure. We demonstrate the instability
of these bridging oxide species, which undergo hydrolysis to form
volatile phosphorus oxides and evaporate from the BP surface. FTIR
spectroscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy, and atomic
force microscopy were used to confirm the formation of liquid oxides
through a continuous oxidation cycle that results in the decomposition
of BP. Furthermore, we show that the instability of few-layer BP originates
from the formation of bridging oxide species.