Electrodeposited alpha- and beta-phase MoO3 films and investigation of their gasochromic properties

α- and β-Phase MoO3 are synthesized using an electrodeposition method on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass substrates from sodium-molybdate (Na2MoO4) solutions. We show that it is possible to obtain both α- and β-MoO3 by manipulating the cyclic voltammetry (CV) parameters during electrodeposition. Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy indicate that the applied potential range and sweep rate are strongly influential on the phase obtained and the surface morphology of the electrodeposited thin films. Gasochromic measurements were carried out on the annealed samples by exposing them to H2 gas. It was revealed that α-MoO3 thin films provided better response to H2 interaction than β-MoO3 films did. Additionally, porous films provided significantly larger responses than smooth films

Electrochemical control of photoluminescence in two-dimensional MoS₂ nanoflakes

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenide semiconductors offer unique electronic and optical properties, which are significantly different from their bulk counterparts. It is known that the electronic structure of 2D MoS2, which is the most popular member of the family, depends on the number of layers. Its electronic structure alters dramatically at near atomically thin morphologies, producing strong photoluminescence (PL). Developing processes for controlling the 2D MoS2 PL is essential to efficiently harness many of its optical capabilities. So far, it has been shown that this PL can be electrically or mechanically gated. Here, we introduce an electrochemical approach to actively control the PL of liquid-phase-exfoliated 2D MoS2 nanoflakes by manipulating the amount of intercalated ions including Li+, Na+, and K+ into and out of the 2D crystal structure. These ions are selected as they are crucial components in many bioprocesses. We show that this controlled intercalation allows for large PL modulations. The introduced electrochemically controlled PL will find significant applications in future chemical and bio-optical sensors as well as optical modulators/switches