Facile Fabrication of MoS2/ZnO Hetero-Epitaxial Growth on Cu2O with Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Activity Through Thermal Oxidation Process

Abstract

A succession of novel heteroepitaxial grown hybrid films MoS₂ and ZnO thin film composites have been effectually synthesized on Cu₂O by a two-step thermal oxidation method for efficient photoelectrochemical processes and analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Ftir investigations, and they were characterized by photoelectrochemical analysis and confirmed their Successful synthesis. In this unparalleled strategy, two semiconductors are sandwiched between three-dimensional Cu₂O substrates to provide numerous active sites for photocatalytic oxidation improve noticeable light absorption and restrain photogenic charge reunification. Therefore, the resulting fabricated hybrid (ZnO/Cu₂O/MoS₂) acts as a direct working electrode and is highly reactive in water by the PEC process, which can facilitate the estrangement of photogenerated electron-hole twosomes below low realistic voltage. Therefore, the photocurrent response of the fabricated ZnO/Cu₂O/MoS₂ working electrode was appreciably enhanced due to the synergistic effect of every element of the 3D structure. Consequently, the produced photoelectrochemical cell showed high sensitivity with wattage conversion efficiency (PCE) of 0.30%, an open circuit voltage (Voc) of 38 mV, and a short circuit current density (I_SC) of 0.66 mA.