Fluidized Electrochemical Exfoliation of Layered Transition Metal Dichalcogenides toward Fast Production of High-Quality Nanosheets in the Aqueous Phase

The transformation of bulk transition-metal dichalcogenide (TMD) particles into ultrathin nanosheets with both an acceptable yield and preserved crystalline integrity presents a substantial challenge in electrochemical exfoliation. This challenge arises from the continuous potential stress that the materials experience in traditional exfoliation setups. Herein, we propose a new fluidized electrochemical exfoliation (FEE) method to efficiently transform TMD powders into high-quality, few-layered TMD nanosheets in the aqueous phase. This approach builds upon the concept of single particle impact electrochemistry (SPIE), where Faradaic or non-Faradaic reaction processes can occur at individual particles upon their collisions with a potentiostatted electrode. The distinct advantages of this method, including enhanced mass transport and a recycling reaction mode, contribute to more efficient charging and ion intercalation during the electrochemical exfoliation of powdery materials, while also preserving the material's crystalline integrity. This work suggests an alternative and efficient approach for the exfoliation of two-dimensional materials, in general.