High‐resolution transmission electron microscopy of hexagonal and rhombohedral molybdenum disulfide crystals

Abstract

Natural (molybdenite) and synthesized molybdenum disulfide crystals have been studied by high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy. The image simulation demonstrates that the [0001] and [0110] HRTEM images of hexagonal and rhombohedral MoS₂ crystals hardly disclose their stacking sequences, and that the [2110] images can distinguish the Mo and S columns along the incident electron beam and enable one to determine not only the crystal structure but also the fault structure. Observed [0001] images of cleaved molybdenite and synthesized MoS₂ crystals, however, reveal the strain field around partial dislocations limiting an extended dislocation. A cross‐sectional image of a single molecular (S‐Mo‐S) layer cleaved from molybdenite has been observed. Synthesized MoS₂ flakes which were prepared by grinding have been found to be rhombohedral crystals containing many stacking faults caused by glides between S/S layers.