In-Situ Chemical Thinning and Surface Doping of Layered Bi2Se3

As a promising topological insulator, two-dimensional (2D) bismuth selenide (Bi2Se3) attracts extensive research interest. Controllable surface doping of layered Bi2Se3 becomes a crucial issue for the relevant applications. Here, we propose an efficient method for the chemical thinning and surface doping of layered Bi2Se3, forming Se/Bi2Se3 heterostructures with tunable thickness ranging from a few nanometers to hundreds of nanometers. The thickness can be regulated by varying the reaction time and large-size few-layer Bi2Se3 sheets can be obtained. Different from previous liquid-exfoliation methods that require complex reaction process, in-situ and thickness-controllable exfoliation of large-size layered Bi2Se3 can be realized via the developed method. Additionally, the formation of Se nanomeshes coated on the Bi2Se3 sheets remarkably enhance the intensity of Raman vibration peaks, indicating that this method can be used for surface-enhanced Raman scattering. The proposed chemical thinning and surface-doping method is expected to be extended to other bulk-layered materials for high-efficient preparation of 2D heterostructures.

Automated summary

A method for the chemical thinning and surface doping of two-dimensional bismuth selenide (Bi2Se3) is proposed in this study. The method allows for in-situ and thickness-controllable exfoliation, as well as the formation of Se nanomeshes on the surface, enhancing Raman vibration peaks.