Advanced 2D–2D heterostructures of transition metal dichalcogenides and nitrogen-rich nitrides for solar water generation

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides and higher-metal nitrides nanomaterials have demonstrated enormous potential application in optoelectronic and energy storage and conversion due to their unique chemical and physical properties. However, few research focues on fabriating their 2D–2D heterostructures for solar steam generation. Herein, we developed a series of transition metal dichalcogenides and nitrogen-rich nitrides heterostructures inlcuding MoS2-Mo5N6, WS2-W2N3 and NbS2-Nb4N5 via partially crystal tramsformation for solar water evaporation. Especially, these advanced 2D heterostructures exhibited enhanced spectra absorption in the infrared range and showed excellent chemical stability in different solutions, including water, acid (1 M) and alkali (1 M). More importantly, due to the enhanced spectra absorption intensity and reduced heat loss to bulk water, the photothermal devices of MoS2-Mo5N6/melamine foam (MF) exhibited a high evaporation rate (2.31 kg m−2 h−1) and conversion efficiency (106.6%), which are 1.4 and 4.7 times higher than the solar devices of MoS2/MF and MF/water, respectively. This work provides a series of advanced 2D–2D TMDs-nitrogen rich nitrides heterostructures with excellent photothermal performance for solar water generation.