Long-range order and preferred orientation in WS2 scaffold created by freeze casting

WS2 scaffolds with long-range order lamellar structures and preferred orientation particles were fabricated by freeze casting. The nucleation and growth processes of ice crystals were controlled via the double-side temperature fields and polydimethylsioxane (PDMS) wedge, which resulted in the formation of lamellar structure ranging at the centimeter scale. Additionally, the WS2 platelets particles in each layer of WS2 scaffolds are arranged in preferred orientation along (001) plane. This novel WS2 scaffold is expected to be a potential novel porous material for numerous applications, especially in sliding process. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.