Probing charge transfer in 2D MoS₂/tellurene type-II p–n heterojunctions

2D heterostructures offer new opportunities for harnessing a wider range of the solar spectrum in high-performance photovoltaic devices. Here, we explore a type-II p–n heterojunction, by exploiting air-stable tellurene (Te) in combination with MoS₂, to study its charge transfer for photovoltaic applications. The charge transfer of MoS₂/Te heterojunction is confirmed by photoluminescence spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and Kelvin probe force microscopy. The exciton binding energy for MoS₂/Te heterojunction is estimated to be around 10 meV, which is much lower than that for monolayer MoS₂. This strategy can be exploited to develop next-generation intrinsically ultrathin light-harvesting devices. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.].