Seamlessly Splicing Metallic Sn<i>_x</i>Mo₁₋<i>_x</i>S₂ at MoS₂ Edge for Enhanced Photoelectrocatalytic Performance in Microreactor

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 <i>_x</i> Mo_1- <i>_x</i> S₂/MoS₂ heterostructure is precisely prepared with in situ growth of metallic Sn <i>_x</i> Mo_1- <i>_x</i> 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.