MoS2/SnO2 heterojunction composite: One-step synthesis and its enhanced visible-light response

MoS2 has attracted enormous research interest owing to its layered structure, adjustable energy bandgap and highly responsive to visible light. Nevertheless, the quick recombination of photoexcited electrons and holes of MoS2 restricted its photoelectrical applications such as photocatalytic and photodetection performance. Herein, the heterostructured MoS2/SnO2 composites have been synthesized through a simple one-step sulfuration pro-cess. The effects of the heterojunction on the separation efficiency of the photogenerated carriers are studied by photoluminescence and photocurrent response analysis. Results show that the composites possess an enhanced separation rate of the photogenerated carriers and the photocurrent response due to the formation of a type II band energy structure. Potential application as a photocatalyst has been demonstrated by the degradation of RhB under visible light illumination. The photocatalytic activity of the optimal heterojunction (MS-300) increases 11 times in degradation rate compared to that of a single MoS2 phase. The formation of the heterojunction between SnO2 and MoS2 not only facilitates photogenerated carriers' separation but also reinforces the transfer of photoinduced carriers with visible light. The present work demonstrates that the one-step sulfuration process could be extended to various MoS2/metal-oxide heterojunctions, thereby expanding the application range of semiconductors.