Transport properties in semiconducting NbS2 nanoflakes

The electronic transport properties in individual niobium disulphide (NbS2) nanoflakes mechanically exfoliated from the bulk crystal with three rhombohedral (3R) structure grown by chemical vapor transport were investigated. It is found that the conductivity values of the single-crystalline nanoflakes are approximately two orders of magnitude lower than that of their bulk counterparts. Temperature-dependent conductivity measurements show that the 3R-NbS2 nanoflakes exhibit semiconducting transport behavior, which is also different from the metallic character in the bulk crystals. In addition, the noncontinuous conductivity variations were observed at the temperature below 180 K for both the nanoflakes and the bulks, which is attributed to the probable charge density wave transition. The photoconductivities in the semiconducting nanoflakes were also observed under the excitation at 532 nm wavelength. The probable mechanisms resulting in the different transport behaviors between the NbS2 nanostructure and bulk were discussed. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.