Emergence of photoluminescence on bulk molybdenum disulfide empowered by laser thinning and gold particle decoration

We demonstrate a facile and effective approach to significantly improve the photoluminescence of bulk molybdenum disulfide via laser thinning followed by gold particle decoration. Upon laser thinning of exfoliated bulk molybdenum disulfide, photoluminescence emerges from the laser-thinned region. After further treatment with an gold chloride solution, gold particles self-assemble on the laser-thinned region and thick edges, further increasing the fluorescence of bulk molybdenum disulfide 28 times and the Raman response 3 times. Such fluorescence enhancement can be attributed to both surface plasmon resonance and p-type doping induced by gold particles. The combination of laser thinning and gold chloride treatment enables the functionalization of bulk molybdenum disulfide for optoelectronic applications. It can also provide a viable strategy for mask-free and area-selective p-type doping on single molybdenum disulfide flakes.