Strain-driven growth of ultra-long two-dimensional nano-channels

Lateral heterostructures of two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have offered great opportunities in the engineering of monolayer electronics, catalysis and optoelectronics. To explore the full potential of these materials, developing methods to precisely control the spatial scale of the heterostructure region is crucial. Here, we report the synthesis of ultra-long MoS₂ nano-channels with several micrometer length and 2–30 nanometer width within the MoSe₂ monolayers, based on intrinsic grain boundaries (GBs). First-principles calculations disclose that the strain fields near the GBs not only lead to the preferred substitution of selenium by sulfur but also drive coherent extension of the MoS₂ channel from the GBs. Such a strain-driven synthesis mechanism is further shown applicable to other topological defects. We also demonstrate that the spontaneous strain of MoS₂ nano-channels can further improve the hydrogen production activity of GBs, paving the way for designing GB based high-efficient TMDs in the catalytic application.