Facile synthesis and characterization of hexagonal NbSe2 nanoplates

•Uniform hexagonal NbSe2 nanoplates were prepared by a simple solid state reaction.•The possible formation mechanism of the NbSe2 nanoplates was discussed.•The formation of NbSe2 nanoplates undergoes a series of phase transition.

The NbSe2 nanoplates with hexagonal morphology have been successfully prepared by a facile, environmentally friendly reaction in closed reactor at moderate temperature. The thermal (750 °C) solid-state reaction between the ball-milled mixture of micro-sized Nb and Se yielded a high yield of NbSe2 nanoplates. The as-prepared products were characterized by XRD, EDS, and SEM. The results showed that the as-prepared products were hexagonal phase NbSe2 nanoplates with uniform sizes and the formation of NbSe2 nanoplates underwent a series of phase transition. On the basis of experimental results obtained at different temperatures, a reasonable reaction process and a formation mechanism were proposed. Moreover, the ball milling time played a crucial role in acquiring the homogeneous distribution nanoplates.

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