All Issue

2026 Vol.36, Issue 2 Preview Page

Research Paper

Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Performance of Vertical MoS2 through Controllable Chemical Vapor Deposition

제어 가능한 화학기상증착법을 통한 수직 MoS2의 향상된 광전기화학 성능

Dong-Bum Seo12
,
Eui-Tae Kim1†
서 동범12
,
김 의태1†
1Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea
2Thin Film Materials Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon 34114, Republic of Korea
1충남대학교 공과대학 신소재공학과
2한국화학연구원 박막재료연구센터
†Corresponding author E-Mail : etkim@cnu.ac.kr (E.-T. Kim, Chungnam Nat’l Univ.)
27 February 2026. pp. 64-69
PDF XML Citation
Abstract

One way to increase the adoption of renewable energy technologies is to develop advanced materials that improve the efficiency of photoelectrochemical (PEC) systems. As a two-dimensional semiconductor, MoS2 exhibits strong absorption in the visible light region and high catalytic activity, making it a promising photoelectrode material for PEC applications. Nevertheless, systematic studies aimed at optimizing its properties remain necessary. In this study, the morphology of MoS2 photoelectrodes for PEC applications was controllably engineered by adjusting the deposition time using a metal-organic chemical vapor deposition process. The PEC photocurrent of vertically grown MoS2 nanosheet structures was markedly higher than that of MoS2 nanoparticles. This enhancement is attributed to (i) efficient charge separation within the nanosheet architecture, (ii) improved light absorption, and (iii) an increase in the density of catalytically active sites. In addition, the photocurrent depends on the nanosheet size, with excessively thick nanosheets exhibiting lower performance due to limited photogenerated carrier diffusion lengths. These results provide a systematic photoelectrode design strategy with an optimized morphology for efficient PEC water splitting.

Keywords
MoS2
photoelectrochemical
nanosheets
chemical vapor deposition
References
1

M. G. Walter, E. L. Warren, J. R. Mckone, S. W. Boettcher, Q. Mi, E. A. Santori and N. S. Lewis, Chem. Rev., 110, 6446 (2010).

10.1021/cr1002326
2

S. Park, S. G. Jang, J. M. Kim, J. Kim, D.-B. Seo, D. H. Yoon, H.-K. Jung, S. S. Lee and K.-S. An, J. Alloys Compd., 941, 168961 (2023).

10.1016/j.jallcom.2023.168961
3

M. Kim, M. Son, D.-B. Seo, J. Kim, M. Jang, D. I. Kim, S. Lee, S. Yim, W. Song, S. Myung, J.-W. Yoo, S. S. Lee and K.-S. An, Small, 19, 2206350 (2023).

10.1002/smll.202206350
4

J. Kim, K. H. Lee, D.-B. Seo, H. Jang, S. Kang, S. Yim, S. S. Lee and K.-S. An, Chem. Eng. J., 477, 147014 (2023).

10.1016/j.cej.2023.147014
5

N. D. Quang, W. Hu, H. S. Chang, P. C. Van, D. D. Viet, J.-R. Jeong, D.-B. Seo, E.-T. Kim, C. Kim and D. Kim, Chem. Eng. J., 417, 129278 (2021).

10.1016/j.cej.2021.129278
6

D.-H. Lee, V. Dongquoc, S. Hong, S.-I. Kim, E. Kim, S.-Y. Cho, C.-H. Oh, Y. Je, M. J. Kwon, A. H. Vo, D.-B. Seo, J. H. Lee, S. Kim, E.-T. Kim and J. H. Park, Small, 18, 2202912 (2022).

10.1002/smll.202202912
7

D.-B. Seo, T. N. Trung, S.-S. Bae and E.-T. Kim, Nanomaterials, 11, 1585 (2021).

10.3390/nano1106158534204208PMC8235607
8

S.-S. Bae, D.-B. Seo, R. A. Jayarathna, S. Lee and E.-T. Kim, Mater. Lett., 326, 132914 (2022).

10.1016/j.matlet.2022.132914
9

M. Son, H. Jang, D.-B. Seo, J. H. Lee, J. Kim, M. Kim, S. Kang, S. Yim, W. Song, J.-W. Yoo, H. Y. Kim, S. S. Lee and K.-S. An, Adv. Funct. Mater., 34, 2308906 (2024).

10.1002/adfm.202308906
10

D.-B. Seo, D. Kim, M.-R. Kim, J. Kwon, H. J. Kook, S. Kang, S. Yim, S. S. Lee, D. O. Shin, K.-S. An and S. Park, Nano-micro Lett., 17, 224 (2025).

10.1007/s40820-025-01729-w40249567PMC12008103
11

Q. Ding, B. Song, P. Xu and S. Jin, Chem, 1, 699 (2016).

10.1016/j.chempr.2016.10.007
12

D.-B. Seo, Y. M. Kwon, J. Kim, S. Kang, S. Yim, S. S. Lee, E.-T. Kim, W. Song and K.-S. An, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 16, 28613 (2024).

10.1021/acsami.4c04329
13

T. N. Trung, D.-B. Seo, N. D. Quang, D. J. Kim and E.-T. Kim, Electrochim. Acta, 260, 150 (2018).

10.1016/j.electacta.2017.11.089
14

A. Ali, F. A. Mangrio, X. Chen, Y. Dai, K. Chen, X. Xu, R. Xia and L. Zhu, Nanoscale, 11, 7813 (2019).

10.1039/C8NR10320H
15

D.-B. Seo and E.-T. Kim, Korean J. Mater. Res., 31, 92 (2021).

10.3740/MRSK.2021.31.2.92
16

C. Tang, L. Zhong, B. Zhang, H.-F. Wang and Q. Zhang, Adv. Mater., 30, 1705110 (2018).

17

Y. Li, M. B. Majewski, S. M. Islam, S. Hao, A. A. Murthy, J. G. DiStefano, E. D. Hanson, Y. Xu, C. Wolverton, M. G. Kanatzidis, M. R. Wasielewski, X. Chen and V. P. Dravid, Nano Lett., 18, 7104 (2018).

10.1021/acs.nanolett.8b03109
18

D.-B. Seo and E.-T. Kim, Korean J. Mater. Res., 32, 30 (2022).

10.3740/MRSK.2022.32.1.30
19

H. He, J. Lin, W. Fu, X. Wang, H. Wang, Q. Zeng, Q. Gu, Y. Li, C. Yan, B. K. Tay, C. Xue, X. Hu, S. T. Pantelides, W. Zhou and Z. Liu, Adv. Energy Mater., 6, 1600464 (2016).

10.1002/aenm.201600464
20

K. Chang, Z. Mei, T. Wang, Q. Kang, S. Ouyang and J. Ye, ACS Nano, 8, 7078 (2014).

10.1021/nn5019945
21

A. Gupta, T. Sakthivel and S. Seal, Prog. Mater. Sci., 73, 44 (2015).

10.1016/j.pmatsci.2015.02.002
22

G. Zhang, H. Liu, J. Qu and J. Li, Energy Environ. Sci., 9, 1190 (2016).

10.1039/C5EE03761A
23

D.-B. Seo, V. Dongquoc, R. A. Jayarathna, S. Lee, J.-H. Lee and E.-T. Kim, J. Alloys Compd., 911, 165090 (2022).

10.1016/j.jallcom.2022.165090
24

C. Yim, M. O’Brien, N. McEvoy, S. Winters, I. Mirza, J. G. Lunney and G. S. Duesberg, Appl. Phys. Lett., 104, 103114 (2014).

10.1063/1.4868108
25

P. Zuo, L. Jiang, X. Li, B. Li, P. Ran, X. Li, L. Qu and Y. Lu, ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng., 6, 7704 (2018).

10.1021/acssuschemeng.8b00579
26

D.-B. Seo, T. N. Trung, D.-O. Kim, D. V. Duc, S. Hong, Y. Sohn, J.-R. Jeong and E.-T. Kim, Nano-micro Lett., 12, 172 (2020).

10.1007/s40820-020-00512-334138153PMC7770824
27

G. Eda, H. Yamaguchi, D. Voiry, T. Fujita, M. Chen and M. Chhowalla, Nano Lett., 11, 5111 (2011).

10.1021/nl201874w
28

D.-B. Seo, J. Kim, Y. M. Jo, D. I. Kim, T. G. Lim, S. Kang, S. Yim, S. S. Lee, E.-T. Kim and K.-S. An, Energy Environ. Mater., 8, e70055 (2025).

10.1002/eem2.70055
Information
  • Publisher :Materials Research Society of Korea
  • Publisher(Ko) :한국재료학회
  • Journal Title :Korean Journal of Materials Research
  • Journal Title(Ko) :한국재료학회지
  • Volume : 36
  • No :2
  • Pages :64-69
  • Received Date : 2025-12-26
  • Revised Date : 2026-01-23
  • Accepted Date : 2026-01-26
  • DOI :https://doi.org/10.3740/MRSK.2026.36.2.64
Journal Informaiton Korean Journal of Materials Research Korean Journal of Materials Research
Online Submission
  • scopus
  • NRF
  • KOFST
  • crossref crossmark
  • crossref cited-by
  • crosscheck
  • open access
  • ccl
Journal Informaiton Journal Informaiton - close