Feasible Structure Manipulation of Vanadium Selenide into VSe2 on Au(111)

Vanadium diselenide (VSe2), a member of the transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), is proposed with intriguing properties. However, a comprehensive investigation of VSe2 (especially regarding on the growth mechanism) is still lacking. Herein, with the molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) measures frequently utilized in surface science, we have successfully synthesized the single-layer VSe2 on Au(111) and revealed its structural transformation using a combination of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and density functional theory (DFT). Initially, formation of the honeycomb structure is observed with the moire periodicity, which is assigned to VSe2. Followed by stepwise annealing, defective structures with streaked patterns start to emerge due to the depletion of Se, which can be reversed to the pristine VSe2 by resupplying Se. With more V than Se deposited, a new compound that has no bulk analogue is discovered on Au(111), which could be transformed back to VSe2 after providing excessive Se. As the realization of manipulating V selenide phases is subtly determined by the relative ratio of V to Se and post-annealing treatments, this report provides useful insights toward fundamental understanding of the growth mechanism of TMDs and might promote the wide application of VSe2 in related fields such as catalysis and nanoelectronics.