Low temperature synthesis of plasmonic molybdenum nitride nanosheets for surface enhanced Raman scattering

Molybdenum nitride (delta -MoN) is an important functional material due to its impressive catalytic, energy storage, and superconducting properties. However, the synthesis of delta -MoN usually requires extremely harsh conditions; thus, the insight into delta -MoN is far behind that of oxides and sulfides of molybdenum. Herein, we report that ultrathin delta -MoN nanosheets are prepared at 270 degrees C and 12atm. WN, VN, and TiN nanosheets are also synthesized by this method. The delta -MoN nanosheets show strong surface plasmon resonance, high conductivity, excellent thermal and chemical stability as well as a high photothermal conversion efficiency of 61.1%. As a promising surface enhanced Raman scattering substrate, the delta -MoN nanosheets exhibit a 8.16x10(6) enhanced factor and a 10(-10) level detection limit for polychlorophenol. Molybdenum nitride is promising for catalysis, energy storage and Raman scattering, but it is synthesized under harsh conditions. Here the authors synthesize highly crystalline molybdenum nitride nanosheets using a relatively mild, non-aqueous solvothermal approach that can be extended to other nitrides.