Molybdenum and Tungsten Chalcogenides

It has been shown that the electrodeposition of molybdenum chalcogenides from high-temperature molten salts can give large, well-defined crystals of these compounds. The preparation of M0S2 as well as WS2 by electrolytic reduction of fused salts was first reported by Weiss [145], who produced small hexagonal blue-gray platelets under drastic conditions of electrolysis. Schneemeyer and Cohen 

On account of the fact that the electrode potential of molybdenum is more negative than the discharge potential of hydrogen, principle difficulties arise to cathodically electrodeposit molybdenum chalcogenide films from aqueous solutions. Theoretically, the deposition of pure molybdenum by electrolytic reduction of molybdates in acidic aqueous solutions is possible according to the reaction 

Attempts to electrodeposit M0S2 in a way similar to that used for MoSe2 - in this case from solutions of molybdate and thiosulfate under various conditions of pH and temperature - have been unsuccessful. Instead, thin films of M0S2 were convenienfly deposited from tetrathiomolybdate solutions Ponomarev et al. [149] observed that reduction of MoO in slightly alkaline solutions results in the formation of an X-ray amorphous film which by annealing at 550 in Ar for 1 h 

Electrodeposition of polycrystalline mngsten disulfide (WS2) thin films on TO/glass, from an aqueous solution of tungstic acid and Na2S03 (pH 7.0-9.5), at different current densities ranging from 20 to 60 mA cm , and temperatures 40, 60, and 80 °C, has been reported [155]. Both the 2H and 3R phases of WS2 were found 

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