Alcohols Assisted Hydrothermal Synthesis of Defect‐Rich MoS 2 and Their Applications in Humidity Sensing

Abstract The influence of different alcohols on hydrothermal synthesis of molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) has been studied. X‐ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope results show that MoS 2 synthesized in water and water/polyethylene glycol exhibits good flower‐like crystallization while in ethanol/water, ethylene glycol/water, and glycerol/water, the MoS 2 shows a smaller size of 3D flower structure and larger layer distance. Strong absorbance peaks in Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectra indicate oxygen doping in MoS 2 . These defects from oxygen doping induce a good sensitivity to water vapor in the environment. A lower hydrothermal temperature (i.e., 180 and 200 °C) results in these defect rich MoS 2 and benefits the humidity sensing performance.