Seamlessly Splicing Metallic Sn x Mo1- x S2 at MoS2 Edge for Enhanced Photoelectrocatalytic Performance in Microreactor

Adv Sci (Weinh). 2020 Nov 16;7(24):2002172. doi: 10.1002/advs.202002172. eCollection 2020 Dec.

Abstract

Accurate design of the 2D metal-semiconductor (M-S) heterostructure via the covalent combination of appropriate metallic and semiconducting materials is urgently needed for fabricating high-performance nanodevices and enhancing catalytic performance. Hence, the lateral epitaxial growth of M-S Sn x Mo1- x S2/MoS2 heterostructure is precisely prepared with in situ growth of metallic Sn x Mo1- x S2 by doping Sn atoms at semiconductor MoS2 edge via one-step chemical vapor deposition. The atomically sharp interface of this heterostructure exhibits clearly distinguished performance based on a series of characterizations. The oxygen evolution photoelectrocatalytic performance of the epitaxial M-S heterostructure is 2.5 times higher than that of pure MoS2 in microreactor, attributed to the efficient electron-hole separation and rapid charge transfer. This growth method provides a general strategy for fabricating seamless M-S lateral heterostructures by controllable doping heteroatoms. The M-S heterostructures show increased carrier migration rate and eliminated Fermi level pinning effect, contributing to their potential in devices and catalytic system.

Keywords: chemical vapor deposition; covalent bonds; heteroatom doping; metal–semiconductor heterostructures; photoelectrocatalytic performance.