Synthesis and Evaluation of Molybdenum Imido-Thiolato Complexes for the Aerosol-Assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition of Nitrogen-Doped Molybdenum Disulfide

Molybdenum bis(imido) bis(thiolato) complexes of the type Mo(NtBu)2(SR)2 (R = tBu (1), iPr (2)) were synthesized and evaluated as precursors for the aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition (AACVD) of nitrogen-doped molybdenum disulfide. Decomposition of the precursors was examined using mass spectrometry and thermolysis experiments, and the predominant pathways were those that involved proton transfer from a methyl group on a thiolato ligand. Thermal behavior, volatility, and enthalpies of sublimation were analyzed using TGA. Comparative studies of the nitrogen-doped MoS2 (N-MoS2) grown from Mo(NtBu)2(StBu)2 to that of pristine MoS2 grown from Mo(StBu)4 were carried out. The material was characterized as MoS2 with nitrogen doping by the presence of the 2H-MoS2 1E2g and A1g Raman vibrational modes. The GIXRD diffraction patterns of the N-MoS2 samples were indexed to 2H-MoS2, and evidence of nitrogen doping was confirmed with the presence of Mo–N bonding by XPS and with EDS mapping. The N-MoS2 deposits d...