Rhenium Doping of Layered Transition-Metal Diselenides Triggers Enhancement of Photoelectrochemical Activity

The ever decreasing sources of fossil fuels have launched extensive research of alternative materials that might play a key role in their replacement. Therefore, the scientific community continuously investigates the possibilities of maximizing the working capacity of such materials in order to fulfill energy challenges in the near future. In this context, doping of the semiconducting materials is a versatile strategy to trigger their physicochemical properties as well their electrochemical performance. Herein, the impact of rhenium doping toward photoelectrochemical activity of MoSe₂ and WSe₂ was studied. Our results indicate that rhenium as a dopant contributes to better overall electrochemical performance, that is, an easier electron transfer of these materials compared to pristine compounds. Additionally, the photoelectrochemical measurements revealed that the doping with rhenium generated an enhancement of the photocurrent response of MoSe₂ as well as WSe₂ under UV light illumination.