Atomically thin MXene/WSe₂Schottky heterojunction towards enhanced photogenerated charge carrier

Two-dimensional materials garner increasing interest in next-generation electronics and optoelectronic devices due to their atomic-thin nature and distinctive physical properties. Building on these advances, we present the successful synthesis of a heterostructure composed of the semi-metallic Ti₃C₂-MXene and the semiconducting WSe₂, in which the atomic layers are vertically aligned. The wet impregnation method effectively synthesizes an atomically thin Ti₃C₂-MXene/WSe₂heterostructure characterized by atomic force microscopy, Raman and time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) analysis. In addition, the current-voltage characteristics at the heterostructure reveal the Schottky junction probed by the scanning tunnelling microscopy and the conductive atomic force microscopy tip. The Schottky heterojunction also exhibits enhanced photocatalytic properties by improving the photogenerated charge carriers and inhibiting recombination. This work demonstrates the unique 2D-2D Ti₃C₂-MXene/WSe₂vertical heterojunction possesses superior photon trapping ability and can efficiently transport photogenerated charge carriers to the reaction sites to enhance photocatalysis performance.