Various forms of WS₂ nanomaterials include nanosheets, IF-WS₂, NT-WS₂, and other forms. Chemical gas-solid reactions are the most well-known and established method for the synthesis of IF WS₂ nanoparticles and nanotubes. Tenne et al. initially synthesized IF WS₂ nanoparticles and nanotubes using WO₃ films and H₂S in a reducing atmosphere (95% N₂ + 5% H₂) at 850 °C. However, only a small amount of products could be synthesized by this method.

Nanosheets of tungsten disulfide nanomaterials are the most common form, and the main synthetic strategies can be divided into two categories: top-down and bottom-up approaches. Top-down approaches allow the production of small amounts or single-layer samples at a lower cost, which is very beneficial for basic research. Among these top-down methods, mechanical peeling via Scotch tape is the simplest method, with only a few or single layers of WS₂ exfoliated via Scotch tape.

1T-WS₂ structure and 2H-WS₂ structure of tungsten disulfide nanomaterials controlled synthesis is important. The 1T-WS₂ structure is considered an efficient co-catalyst for hydrogen evolution due to the increased density of catalytic active sites and the metal conductivity, while the 2H-WS₂ structure can be used as a visible photosensitizer. Therefore, various synthetic methods for the crystalline phase modulation of WS₂ have received much attention. Since the conversion from 1T-WS₂ to stable 2H-WS₂ can be easily achieved by annealing, the study of feasible methods to achieve the opposite conversion has received much attention.

Due to the promising applications of tungsten disulfide nanomaterials in the field of energy conversion and storage, efforts have been made to study and improve its electrical characteristic and HER mechanism of WS₂, such as carrier concentration (p), mobility (μ), and resistivity (ρ). According to theoretical predictions, WS₂ has the highest electron mobility in semiconductor TMDCs due to the reduced effective mass.

Compared with semiconducting materials, tungsten disulfide nanomaterials exhibit higher light absorption, and photocatalytic properties are another important property. For semiconductor materials, light absorption properties are very important, especially for photocatalysis. When WS₂ absorbs photons, transitions between in-band, out-of-band, and impurity defects occur, which can form specific absorption spectra. The characteristic absorption peak of bulk WS₂ is near the wavelength of 910 nm and is located in the near-infrared (NIR) region. By forming nanostructures, a blue shift of the WS₂ characteristic absorption peak can be observed.

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.

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.

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).

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.

Biocompatibility of tungsten disulfide nanomaterials (WS₂NM) such as tungsten disulfide inorganic nanotubes, and fullerene-like nanoparticles with salivary gland cells. There are currently no adequate methods to treat oral diseases due to impaired salivary gland function. The researchers investigated the biocompatibility of WS₂ in salivary gland cells. In the study, multi-walled inorganic nanotubes (INT- WS₂) and inorganic fullerene-like nanoparticles (IF WS₂) were synthesized in a reactor that can be used at high temperatures.