A new of 2D transition metal thiophosphates, Nb4P2S21, was synthesized through a vapor transport reaction. High purity and centimeter-scale large Nb4P2S21 crystals were obtained by controlling the growth temperature and stoichiometric ratio between niobium, phosphorus, and sulfur (using excess sulfur condition, Nb: P: S = 4: 2: 23). It was confirmed that large Nb4P2S21 crystals could be separated to a nanometer scale through mechanical exfoliation, and the exfoliated Nb4P2S21 layer exhibits semiconducting characteristics by measuring the change in electrical conductivity with temperature (increased conductivity with temperature in the range of 93–333 K). Furthermore, the device characteristics for detecting visible ray laser (635 nm) and NO2 gas molecules were verified. Based on these characteristics, the synthesized 2D material is expected to be a potential candidate for additional 2D materials and in multi-functional sensor devices, including optoelectronics and gas sensing applications.
Funding : This research was supported by the Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF), funded by the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning ( NRF-2019R1A2C1006972 , NRF-2020R1A2C2010984 ). Also, this research was supported by Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT) through the International Cooperative R&D program . (Project No. P0005436 ).
