  We fabricate large-area atomically thin MoS$_2$ layers through the direct
transformation of crystalline molybdenum MoS$_2$ (MoO$_3$) by sulfurization at
relatively low temperatures. The obtained MoS2 sheets are polycrystalline
(~10-20 nm single-crystal domain size) with areas of up to 300x300 um$^2$ with
2-4 layers in thickness and show a marked p-type behaviour. The synthesized
films are characterized by a combination of complementary techniques: Raman
spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and
electronic transport measurements.
