NM04: Atomically Thin, Layered and 2D Non-Carbon Materials and Systems

Sol Torrel, Rutgers University

Elucidation of Friction Behavior in 2D MoS₂ with Raman Spectroscopy

Written by Natalie Briggs

As layered materials such as molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) see continued development for nanoscale electronics, detailed investigation of friction in few-layer systems and its role in device technologies is needed. To investigate friction few-layer MoS₂ systems, researchers at Rutgers University have employed Raman spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. Through joint-use of these techniques, it is found that friction can vary widely within individual layered crystals of MoS₂. Additionally, Raman spectroscopy of few-layer MoS₂ synthesized through vaporization of molybdenum trioxide and sulfur powders shows that friction on the surface of this two-dimensional material is dominated by phonon behavior. As a result of these studies, an algorithm has been developed that can predict the friction in layered MoS₂ simply based on experimentally obtained Raman spectra.