Most of the two dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDC) are nonmagnetic in pristine form. However;
2D pristine VX2 (X=S;
Se;
Te) materials are found to be ferromagnetic. Using spin polarized density functional theory (DFT) calculations;
we have studied the electronic;
magnetic;
and surface properties of this class of materials in both trigonal prismatic H- and octahedral T-phase. Our calculations reveal that they exhibit materially different properties in those two polymorphs. Most importantly;
detailed investigation of electronic structure explored the quantum size effect in H-phase of these materials thereby leading to metal to semimetal (H-VS2) or semiconductor (H-VSe2) transition when downsizing from bilayer to corresponding monolayer. © 2015 AIP Publishing LLC;