Collective Electrostatics and Band Alignment in Janus MoSTe Nanotubes

In this work, we investigate the collective electrostatic effects of one-dimensional (1D) Janus MoSTe nanotubes and their impact on the band alignment of nanotube heterostructures. Using first-principles calculations based on density functional theory, we find that the Janus nanotube generates a large and uniform electrostatic potential of more than 1.3 V within the nanotube pores, which is cumulative for double-wall nanotubes. We developed an analytical model to provide a quantitative understanding of the electrostatic potential and its dependence on the quadrupole moment and nanotube radius. For the double-wall MoSTe nanotube, we find a substantial band edge shift of about 1.0 eV for the inner tube originating from the electrostatic effects, leading to a type II band alignment. These results demonstrate that the electrostatic effects of 1D nanotubes can be used to tune the electronic properties and band alignment of 1D nanotube heterostructures for optoelectronic and catalytic applications.