Controllable growth of transition metal dichalcogenide multilayer flakes with kirigami structures

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) exhibit interesting electronic and optical properties depending on their complex layer stacking and unique architectures. Here, we develop a high-efficiency and low-cost chemical vapor deposition technique to controllably grow 2D MoSe₂ flakes with kirigami structures. Optical microscopy, atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy were used to characterize the kirigami architectures. Similar kirigami structures can also be extended to WSe₂ flakes. This work expands the chemical toolbox for design and fabrication of TMDCs and offers new opportunities for engineering 2D materials with unique three-dimensional architectures and complex layer stacking to develop novel electronic devices and catalysts.