Enhancement in magnetization of two-dimensional cobalt telluride and its magnetic field-assisted photocatalytic activity

Magnetism in semiconductor two-dimensional (2D) materials is gaining popularity due to its potential applications in memory devices, sensors, spintronics, and biomedical applications. Here, 2D cobalt telluride (CoTe) has been synthesized from its bulk crystals using a simple and scalable liquid-phase exfoliation method. The ultrathin CoTe shows ~ 400 times enhancement in its magnetic saturation values compared to the bulk form. The UV–Vis absorption spectra reveal superior absorption in the high-energy region, suggesting a semiconducting nature. Furthermore, we explain the bandgap and origin of high magnetic behavior by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The 2D CoTe shows a larger magnetism compared to bulk CoTe due to the reduced coordination number of the surface atoms, shape anisotropy, and surface charge effect. Additionally, the semiconducting nature and surface charges are fruitfully utilized for degradation of different toxic dyes under magnetic field and visible light irradiation. Therefore, atomically thin magnetic CoTe can give a new perspective to the separation of charge carriers.