Thermal conductance between water and nm-thick WS(2): extremely localized probing using nanosecond energy transport state-resolved Raman

Liquid–solid interface energy transport has been a long-term research topic. Past research mostly focused on theoretical studies while there are only a handful of experimental reports because of the extreme challenges faced in measuring such interfaces. Here, by constructing nanosecond energy transport state-resolved Raman spectroscopy (nET-Raman), we characterize thermal conductance across a liquid–solid interface: water–WS(2) nm film. In the studied system, one side of a nm-thick WS(2) film is in contact with water and the other side is isolated. WS(2) samples are irradiated with 532 nm wavelength lasers and their temperature evolution is monitored by tracking the Raman shift variation in the E(2g) mode at several laser powers. Steady and transient heating states are created using continuous wave and nanosecond pulsed lasers, respectively. We find that the thermal conductance between water and WS(2) is in the range of 2.5–11.8 MW m(−2) K(−1) for three measured samples (22, 33, and 88 nm thick). This is in agreement with molecular dynamics simulation results and previous experimental work. The slight differences are attributed mostly to the solid–liquid interaction at the boundary and the surface energies of different solid materials. Our detailed analysis confirms that nET-Raman is very robust in characterizing such interface thermal conductance. It completely eliminates the need for laser power absorption and Raman temperature coefficients, and is insensitive to the large uncertainties in 2D material properties input.