Chemical vapor deposition growth of large-area molybdenum disulphide (MoS2) dendrites

Molybdenum disulphide (MoS 2 ) has emerged as a popular transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) in the recent decade because of its potential applications in electronic devices, optoelectronics, and fuel cells. Specifically, dendritic MoS 2 has been shown to efficiently catalyse various hydrogen evolution reactions . We report the growth of dendritic MoS 2 flakes on SiO 2 /Si wafers using a sophisticated atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition (APCVD) system. High-resolution optical microscopy reveals a morphology comprising different star-shaped dendrites, in addition to large MoS 2 domains, which merge to form a continuous film. Our observations reveal that the dendrites originate from the nucleation centre of a monolayer MoS 2 island, and their branches develop preferentially along the grain boundaries of this island. Raman spectroscopy , Atomic force microscopy (AFM), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements were carried out to characterize the as-grown MoS 2 dendrites and further confirm these observations. • MoS 2 dendrites are grown on SiO 2 /Si substrate using atmospheric chemical vapor deposition (APCVD). • Various star-shaped dendritic nanostructures are observed on the as-grown MoS 2 domains. • Raman analysis proved that the underlying MoS 2 domains are single-layered and the dendritic growth on these domains are multi-layered. • The dendrites follow the symmetry of the domains underneath and show a preferential direction of growth.