One-dimensional Nanostructures and Precision Manipulation*

In the family of two dimensional (2D) materials, molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) has received immerse attention. Herein, we report a scalable approach to synthesize MoS₂ nanoribbons with controlled dimensions. Characterizations confirm the chemistry, morphology, and crystalline structures of materials obtained at different reaction stages, including MoO₃, MoS₂/MoO₂ hybrid, and MoS₂ nanoribbons. With the electric tweezers based on combined AC and DC electric fields, the MoS₂ nanoribbons can be readily manipulated with desired orientations along arbitrary trajectories, e.g. along a cat drawing. Moreover, it is found that the electromechanical behaviors of the particles obtained at different growth stages strongly correlate with their electric properties, the demonstration of which could be utilized to monitor and understand the synthetic process of targeted nanomaterials. This work may lead to a new paradigm in the large-scale fabrication of 2D materials with designed dimensions and inspire their innovative applications in nanorobotics, micro/nanoelectromechanical system devices (MEMS/NEMS), as well as molecule delivery and release.