Advances in two-dimensional molybdenum ditelluride (MoTe₂): A comprehensive review of properties, preparation methods, and applications

Abstract

In the past decade, molybdenum ditelluride (MoTe₂) has received significant attention from the scientific community due to its structural features and unique properties originate from them. In the current review, the properties, various preparation approaches, and versatile applications of MoTe₂ are presented. The review provides a brief update on the state of our fundamental understanding of MoTe₂ material and also discusses the issues that need to be resolved. To introduce MoTe₂, we briefly summarize its structural, optoelectronic, magnetic, and mechanical properties in the beginning. Then, different preparation methods of MoTe₂, such as exfoliation, laser treatment, deposition, hydrothermal, microwave, and molecular beam epitaxy, are included. The excellent electrical conductivity, strong optical activity, tunable bandgap, high sensitivity, and impressive stability make it an ideal contender for different applications, including energy storage, catalysis, sensors, solar cells, photodetectors, and transistors. The performance of MoTe₂ in these applications is systematically introduced along with mechanistic insights. At the end of the article, the challenges and possible future directions are highlighted to further modify MoTe₂ material for the numerous functionalities. Therefore, the availability of different phases and layer structures implies a potential for MoTe₂ to lead an era of two-dimensional materials that began from the exfoliation of graphene.

Keywords

2D materials / MoTe ₂ / (opto)electronic devices / phase / structure and bandgap tuning

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2024 The Author(s). SusMat published by Sichuan University and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.