Scalable Growth of Quasi-1D TiS₃ Nanoribbons for High-Temperature Flexible Strain Sensor

Quasi-one-dimensional (quasi-1D) van der Waals MX₃ transition metal trichalcogenides (TMTCs), have emerged as a compelling material platform due to their unique quantum confinement effects and anisotropic properties. Nevertheless, the narrow growth window and extreme sensitivity to growth parameters make it challenging to synthesize TMTCs via chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Herein, we demonstrate an ethanol-assisted CVD method for the scalable growth of TiS₃ nanoribbons. This approach utilizes the combination of ethanol with TiCl₄ and S powder to form a Ti source precursor, enabling the high yields of TiS₃ nanoribbons with a thickness as low as 10 nm and lengths on the micrometer scale (140±30 µm, aspect ratio of approximately 260). Moreover, the nanoribbons exhibit epitaxial vertical alignment on substrates, facilitating the versatile transfer to arbitrary target substrates. The single TiS₃ nanoribbon exhibits high conductivity (σ_{293 K} = 3.1 × 10⁴ S/m) from 80 to 593 K. Flexible strain sensors based on TiS₃ nanoribbon networks demonstrate a high gauge factor of 135.3, a wide strain detection range (40–7400 με), and strong tolerance to temperatures up to 773 K. This strategy provides a unique pathway for synthesis of TMTCs, providing essential material support for the development of high-performance flexible electronic devices.