Substrate-independent growth and characterization of single-crystalline SnSe nanoplates

Abstract Despite of great progress made on two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials, it is still a challenge to achieve substrate-independent growth of single-crystalline 2D nanomaterials through the vapor phase route. Here, we report the substrate-independent growth of single-crystal SnSe nanoplates with square-like shape via physical vapor deposition. Structural and spectroscopic characterizations indicate that SnSe nanoplates are well crystallized and have the near-infrared optical band gap, showing potential applications in optoelectronic devices.