@article{a5203e49e5884b2cb21016c8a47c72e7,
title = "Spontaneous self-intercalation of copper atoms into transition metal dichalcogenides",
abstract = "Intercalated transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have attracted substantial interest due to their exciting electronic properties. Here, we report a unique approach where copper (Cu) atoms from bulk Cu solid intercalate spontaneously into van der Waals (vdW) gaps of group IV and V layered TMDs at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. This distinctive phenomenon is used to develop a strategy to synthesize Cu species–intercalated layered TMD compounds. A series of Cu-intercalated 2H-NbS2 compounds were obtained with homogeneous distribution of Cu intercalates in the form of monovalent Cu (I), occupying the tetrahedral sites coordinated by S atoms within the interlayer space of NbS2. The Fermi level of NbS2 shifts up because of the intercalation of Cu, resulting in the improvement of electrical conductivity in the z-direction. On the other hand, intercalation of Cu into vdW gaps of NbS2 systematically suppresses the superconducting transition temperature (Tc) and superconducting volume fraction.",
author = "Liu, {Xiao Chen} and Shuyang Zhao and Xueping Sun and Liangzi Deng and Xiaolong Zou and Youcheng Hu and Wang, {Yun Xiao} and Chu, {Ching Wu} and Jia Li and Jingjie Wu and Ke, {Fu Sheng} and Ajayan, {Pulickel M.}",
note = "Funding Information: Acknowledgments: We thank H. Cong, Q. Liu, X. Xu, Y. Zhou, H. Deng, and S. Chen (Wuhan University) for invaluable assistance. We thank S.-G. Sun and Z.-Y. Zhou (Xiamen University) for g: This work was sponsored by National Nature Science Foundation of China (21773176, 21403157, and 11874036) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2042017kf0232, 2042019kf0200). F.-S.K. acknowledges the New Faculty Startup Fund of Wuhan University, Large-scale Instrument and Equipment Sharing Foundation of Wuhan University. This work was also partly supported by the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research under award number FA9550-14-1-0268. P.M.A. thanks the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research for support under award number FA9550-18-1-0072. This work was also partly supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (no. 2017YFB0701600), the Local Innovative and Research Teams Project of Guangdong Pearl River Talents Program (no. 2017BT01N111), and Shenzhen Projects for Basic Research (no. JCYJ20170412171430026). Tianjin and Guangzhou Supercomputing Center are Publisher Copyright: Copyright {\textcopyright} 2020 The Authors,",
year = "2020",
doi = "10.1126/sciadv.aay4092",
language = "English",
volume = "6",
journal = "Science advances",
issn = "2375-2548",
publisher = "American Association for the Advancement of Science",
number = "7",
}