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Tin(II) Sulfide (SnS) Nanosheets by Liquid-Phase Exfoliation of Herzenbergite: IV–VI Main Group Two-Dimensional Atomic Crystals

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posted on 2015-12-22, 22:46 authored by Jack R. Brent, David J. Lewis, Tommy Lorenz, Edward A. Lewis, Nicky Savjani, Sarah J. Haigh, Gotthard Seifert, Brian Derby, Paul O’Brien
The liquid-phase exfoliation of tin­(II) sulfide to produce SnS nanosheets in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone is reported. The material is characterized by Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, lattice-resolution scanning transmission electron microscope imaging, and energy dispersive X-ray spectrum imaging. Quantum chemical calculations on the optoelectronic characteristics of bulk and 10-layer down to monolayer SnS have been performed using a quantum chemical density functional tight-binding approach. The optical properties of the SnS and centrifugally fractionated SnS nanosheet dispersions were compared to that predicted by theory. Through centrifugation, bilayer SnS nanosheets can be produced size-selectively. The scalable solution processing of semiconductor SnS nanosheets is the key to their commercial exploitation and is potentially an important step toward the realization of a future electronics industry based on two-dimensional materials.

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