Production of 2D NbOCl₂ with controllable size by liquid phase exfoliation and its photothermal properties

Abstract

Ultrathin 2D niobium oxide dichloride (NbOCl₂) is an emerging member of the 2D ferroelectric material family with extensive potential to provide multifunctionality in electronic devices and nanophotonics elements. It exhibits negligible interlayer electronic coupling and significant excitonic behavior in the bulk state. Here we substantiate that NbOCl₂ nanosheets can be exfoliated and effectively size-selected using controlled centrifugation techniques by the liquid phase exfoliation (LPE) method. Spectroscopic measurements displayed that the variations in dispersion were highly dependent on the nanosheet dimensions. The nanosheets seemed to be comparatively defect-free which will be further corroborated by high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and Raman analysis. The size selected nanosheets are unanticipated stable in isopropyl alcohol (IPA), possibly owing to the protective influence of a solvation shell. Additionally, the photothermal conversion response and photothermal stability of nanosized NbOCl₂ were investigated. Our finding revealed that NbOCl₂ possesses a robust photothermal agent property, boasting a photothermal conversion efficiency of more than 30%. This underscores its promising potential for various photothermal applications in different fields such as photothermal therapy and thermal energy conversion.

Keywords

NbOCl₂ / solvent stability / liquid phase exfoliation / 2D material / photothermal properties

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Central South University