Physical Vapor Deposition Growth of Ultrathin Molybdenum Dioxide Nanosheets with Excellent Conductivity

A single crystal of 2D layered α-MoO₂ using a simple technique of physical vapor deposition (PVD) method is generated. By adjusting the growth temperature, the thickness of α-MoO₂ single crystals can be tuned to sub ten nanometers. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) images verified the atomic structural details of PVD grown orthorhombic MoO₂ (α-MoO₂) nanosheet with high quality. Additionally, the unsaturated linear magnetic range (LMR) in the grown nanosheets is up to 5 T. Also, α-MoO₂ nanosheet with low defect displays excellent conductivity that is comparable to the metal silver. Thus, this new nanomaterial can show a promising application as a potential 2D conductor.