Pt147 Nanoclusters Soft-Landed on WS2 Nanosheets for Catalysis and Energy Harvesting

Understanding the interaction between metal nanoclusters and two-dimensional (2D) layered materials presents a route toward the creation and tuning of hybrid materials. Here, we synthesize hybrid materials composed of mass-selected platinum nanoclusters produced using a magnetron sputtering gas aggregation cluster beam source with a lateral time-of-flight mass filter (mass resolution M/Delta M = 20) and large-area tungsten disulfide (WS2) 2D atomic layers. We employ aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) in high-angle annular dark-field (HAADF) mode and micro-Raman spectroscopy to study the interaction between Pt-147 and suspended WS2 atomic layers. HAADF-STEM analysis reveals that soft-landed Pt-147 nanoclusters are situated on top of few-layered WS2 stacks, rather than being embedded or pinned. We observed a red shift in both E-2g and A(1g) modes and striking enhancement of A(1g) mode in the micro-Raman signatures of WS2, which provide evidence that Pt-147 clusters are soft-landed on the WS2 basal plane without disrupting the crystalline structure of the WS2 and of charge transfer from Pt-147 to WS2, respectively. In contrast, the measured change in line width of the E-2g mode of WS2 reveals a strong interaction between Pt-147 and WS2 layers. Direct evidence for the relative stability of Pt-147 clusters on WS2 is assessed by position-dependent Raman profiling and real-time HAADF-STEM imaging. Our approach offers a novel route to the controlled incorporation of size-selected nanoclusters on the 2D WS2 basal plane for catalysis and energy harvesting device applications.

Automated summary

This study synthesized hybrid materials composed of platinum nanoclusters and tungsten disulfide 2D atomic layers, revealing the interaction between nanoclusters and the 2D material using high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy and micro-Raman spectroscopy. The findings provide a new route for the controlled incorporation of size-selected nanoclusters on the 2D tungsten disulfide basal plane, offering potential applications in catalysis and energy harvesting devices.