TY  - JOUR
A1  - Sorgenfrei, Nomi
A1  - Giangrisostomi, Erika
A1  - Jay, Raphael Martin
A1  - Kühn, Danilo
A1  - Neppl, Stefan
A1  - Ovsyannikov, Ruslan
A1  - Sezen, Hikmet
A1  - Svensson, Svante
A1  - Föhlisch, Alexander
T1  - Photodriven transient picosecond top-layer semiconductor to metal phase-transition in p-doped molybdenum disulfide
JF  - Advanced materials
N2  - Visible light is shown to create a transient metallic S-Mo-S surface layer on bulk semiconducting p-doped indirect-bandgap 2H-MoS2. Optically created electron-hole pairs separate in the surface band bending region of the p-doped semiconducting crystal causing a transient accumulation of electrons in the surface region. This triggers a reversible 2H-semiconductor to 1T-metal phase-transition of the surface layer. Electron-phonon coupling of the indirect-bandgap p-doped 2H-MoS2 enables this efficient pathway even at a low density of excited electrons with a distinct optical excitation threshold and saturation behavior. This mechanism needs to be taken into consideration when describing the surface properties of illuminated p-doped 2H-MoS2. In particular, light-induced increased charge mobility and surface activation can cause and enhance the photocatalytic and photoassisted electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction of water on 2H-MoS2. Generally, it opens up for a way to control not only the surface of p-doped 2H-MoS2 but also related dichalcogenides and layered systems. The findings are based on the sensitivity of time-resolved electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis with photon-energy-tuneable synchrotron radiation.
KW  - catalysis
KW  - dichalcogenides
KW  - hydrogen evolution reaction
KW  - phase transitions
KW  - photoelectron spectroscopy
Y1  - 2021
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202006957
SN  - 0935-9648
SN  - 1521-4095
VL  - 33
IS  - 14
PB  - Wiley-VCH
CY  - Weinheim
ER  -