Due to the rapid growth of the global population and rapid socio-economic development, energy and environmental issues have received widespread attention. As a transition metal disulfide, tungsten disulfide nanomaterials have made important research advances in the field of energy conversion and storage. Given the versatility and rich microstructure of these materials, the plasticity and controlled synthesis of tungsten disulfide (WS₂) nanomaterials are of interest to researchers.

The crystal structure of tungsten disulfide (WS₂) belongs to the P6₃/mmc space group with lattice parameters of a = 0.31532 nm and c = 1.2323 nm measured by X-ray diffraction. As a typical representative of two-dimensional layered transition metal dichloride (TMDC) materials with a structure consisting of 0.6-0.7 nm thick X-M-X interlayers (M is transition metal; X = S, Se, Te).

An article published in the Journal of Solid State Chemistry by Schutte et al. illustrates that crystal structures of tungsten disulfide (WS₂) and tungsten diselenide (WSe₂) host the same type of layered structure as molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂). In addition to the common hexagonal 2H form of WS₂, a rhombohedral form, 3R-WS₂, has also been reported, which is isotypic to the rhombohedral form of MoS₂.

In recent years, tungsten disulfide nanomaterials (WS₂NM) have had important applications in cancer therapy. Researchers have synthesized chitosan-functionalized WS₂ nanocomposites (CS/ WS₂/Ru) implanted with ruthenium nanoparticles. Chitosan is biocompatible and non-toxic, making it an excellent candidate for drug delivery systems. On the other hand, the biological properties of chitosan can be improved due to the small size and large surface area of WS₂.