X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and tribology studies of annealed fullerene-like WS2 nanoparticles

The time dependent chemical changes occuring at the surface of inorganic fullerene-like (IF) nanoparticles of WS2 were investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and compared to those of bulk powder, 2H-WS2. It was possible to follow the long term surface oxidation and carbonization occuring at defects on the outermost surface (0001) molecular layers of the inorganic fullerene-like nanoparticles. Vacuum annealing was shown to remove most of these contaminants and bring the surface close to its pristine stoichoimetric composition. In accordance with previous measurements, further evidence was obtained for the existence of water molecules, which were entrapped in the hollow core and interstitial defects of the fullerene-like nanoparticles during the synthesis. These water molecules were also shown to be removable by the vacuum annealing process. Chemically resolved electrical measurements (CREM) in the XPS showed that the IF samples had become less p-type after the vacuum annealing. Finally, tribological measurements showed that the vacuum annealed IF samples performed better as an oil additive than the non-annealed IF samples and the 2H-WS2 powder. (c) 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.