An Insight into the Phase Transformation of WS2 upon Fluorination

Abstract The transformation from semiconducting to metallic phase, accompanied by a structural transition in 2D transition metal dichalcogenides has attracted the attention of the researchers worldwide. The unconventional structural transformation of fluorinated WS 2 (FWS 2 ) into the 1T phase is described. The energy difference between the two phases debugs this transition, as fluorination enhances the stability of 1T FWS 2 and makes it energetically favorable at higher F concentration. Investigation of the electronic and optical nature of FWS 2 is supplemented by possible band structures and bandgap calculations. Magnetic centers in the 1T phase appear in FWS 2 possibly due to the introduction of defect sites. A direct consequence of the phase transition and associated increase in interlayer spacing is a change in friction behavior. Friction force microscopy is used to determine this effect of functionalization accompanied phase transformation.