MoSe2/SnS Nanoheterostructures for Water Splitting

We show that the colloidal growth of SnS nanosheets (NS), a group IV metal chalcogenide (MC), on MoSe2 NS, a transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC), results in the formation of type-II nanoheterostructures (NHS). The MoSe2/SnS NHS synthesis is accompanied by in situ generation of MoO3-x at the MoSe2 and SnS interface activating the otherwise electrochemically inert basal planes of MoSe2 NS. The MoSe2/SnS NHS exhibit more active sites, and the built-in electric field at the interface enhances the rate of charge transfer. The largely enhanced electrocatalytic activities are attributed to the electronic property manipulation due to the synergistic interactions between MoSe2 NS and SnS NS. This work provides insights into the design of multicomponent low-dimensional 2D/2D (D = dimension) NHS based on TMDC/MC combination with enhanced electrochemical properties, in particular for applications of water splitting.