Atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition: An alternative route to large-scale MoS₂ and WS₂ inorganic fullerene-like nanostructures and nanoflowers

Large-scale MoS₂ and WS₂ inorganic fullerene-like (IF) nanostructures (onionlike nanoparticles, nanotubes) and elegant three-dimensional nanoflowers (NF) have been selectively prepared through an atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition (APCVD) process with the reaction of chlorides and sulfur. The morphologies were controlled by adjusting the deposition position, the deposition temperature, and the flux of the carrier gas. All of the nanostructures have been characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A reaction mechanism is proposed based on the experimental results. The surface area of MoS₂ IF nanoparticles and the field-emission effect of as-prepared WS₂ nanoflowers is reported.