In-Plane Anisotropic Properties of 1T′-MoS2 Layers

Crystal phases play a key role in determining the physicochemical properties of a material. To date, many phases of transition metal dichalcogenides have been discovered, such as octahedral (1T), distorted octahedral (1T '), and trigonal prismatic (2H) phases. Among these, the 1T ' phase offers unique properties and advantages in various applications. Moreover, the 1T ' phase consists of unique zigzag chains of the transition metals, giving rise to interesting in-plane anisotropic properties. Herein, the in-plane optical and electrical anisotropies of metastable 1T '-MoS2 layers are investigated by the angle-resolved Raman spectroscopy and electrical measurements, respectively. The deconvolution of J(1) and J(2) peaks in the angle-resolved Raman spectra is a key characteristic of high-quality 1T '-MoS2 crystal. Moreover, it is found that its electrocatalytic performance may be affected by the crystal orientation of anisotropic material due to the anisotropic charge transport.