Switched Photocurrent on Tin Sulfide-Based Nanoplate Photoelectrodes

Hongjun Chen; Miaoqiang Lyu; Meng Zhang; Krishna Feron; Debra J Searles; Matthew Dargusch; Xiangdong Yao; Lianzhou Wang

doi:10.1002/cssc.201601603

Switched Photocurrent on Tin Sulfide-Based Nanoplate Photoelectrodes

ChemSusChem. 2017 Feb 22;10(4):670-674. doi: 10.1002/cssc.201601603. Epub 2017 Jan 27.

Authors

Hongjun Chen¹, Miaoqiang Lyu¹, Meng Zhang¹, Krishna Feron^{2

3}, Debra J Searles⁴, Matthew Dargusch⁵, Xiangdong Yao⁶, Lianzhou Wang¹

Affiliations

¹ Nanomaterials Centre, School of Chemical Engineering and Australian, Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.
² CSIRO Energy, Newcastle, NSW 2300, Australia.
³ Centre for Organic Electronics, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia.
⁴ Centre for Theoretical and Computational Molecular Science, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences and Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.
⁵ Centre for Advanced Materials Processing and Manufacture, School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.
⁶ School of Natural Sciences and Queensland Micro- and Nanotechnology Centre (QMNC), Griffith University, Nathan Campus, Brisbane, QLD, 4111, Australia.

PMID: 27976838
DOI: 10.1002/cssc.201601603

Abstract

A new type of SnS₂ nanoplate photoelectrode is prepared by using a mild wet-chemical method. Depending on the calcination temperatures, SnS₂ -based photoelectrodes can either retain their n-type nature with greatly enhanced anodic photocurrent density (ca. 1.2 mA cm^-2 at 0.8 V vs. Ag/AgCl) or be completely converted into p-type SnS to generate approximately 0.26 mA cm^-2 cathodic photocurrent density at -0.8 V vs. Ag/AgCl. The dominance of sulfur and tin vacancies are found to account for the dramatically different photoelectrochemical behaviors of n-type SnS₂ and p-type SnS photoelectrodes. In addition, the band structures of n-type SnS₂ and p-type SnS photoelectrodes are also deduced, which may provide an effective strategy for developing SnS₂ /SnS films with controllable energy-band levels through a simple calcination treatment.

Keywords: calcination; nanostructures; photoelectrochemistry; semiconductors; tin.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Electrochemistry / methods
Electrodes
Nanostructures / chemistry*
Photochemical Processes*
Sulfides / chemistry*
Tin Compounds / chemistry*

Substances

Sulfides
Tin Compounds
tin sulfide