Abstract
Tin(II) sulfide (SnS) is an attractive semiconductor for solar energy conversion in thin film devices due to its bandgap of around 1.3 eV in its orthorhombic polymorph, and a band gap energy of 1.5â1.7 eV for the cubic polymorphâboth of which are commensurate with efficient light harvesting, combined with a high absorption coefficient (10â4 cmâ1) across the NIRâvisible region of the electromagnetic spectrum, leading to theoretical power conversion efficiencies >30%. The high natural abundance and a relative lack of toxicity of its constituent elements means that such devices could potentially be inexpensive, sustainable, and accessible to most nations. SnS exists in its orthorhombic form as a layer structure similar to black phosphorus; therefore, the bandgap energy can be tuned by thinning the material to nanoscale dimensions. These and other properties enable SnS applications in optoelectronic devices (photovoltaics, photodetectors), lithium- and sodium-ion batteries, and sensors among others with a significant potential for a variety of future applications. The synthetic routes, structural, optical and electronic properties as well as their applications (in particular photonic applications and energy storage) of bulk and 2D tin(II) sulfide are reviewed herein.
Highlights
Due to these exciting properties, it has been incorporated into thin film solar cell architecture alongside a range of electron and hole transporting materials
An excellent and comprehensive review on the synthesis of semiconductor nanocrystals and colloidal quantum dots in organic solvents with particular emphasis on earth-abundant, nontoxic, and heavy metal free compounds has been written by Reiss et al [68]
To reduce recombination and obtain highly efficient (4.36%) devices, multiple strategies have been applied, for example: (i) annealing of the SnS layer under a hydrogen sulfide (H2 S) environment to form larger grains with fewer grain boundaries; (ii) SnO2 of several monolayer thickness has been inserted between the p-SnS/n-Zn(O,S) junction; and (iii) adjusting the conduction band offset by tuning the composition of the Zn(O,S) [8]
Summary
Publisherâs Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. SnS has an ideal bandgap for solar absorption (1.3 eV for bulk), a high absorbance coefficient >10â4 cmâ1 , Hall mobility up to 100 cm Vsâ1 or higher, and tuneable carrier densities in the range of 1015 to 1018 cmâ3 [5,6,7] Due to these exciting properties, it has been incorporated into thin film solar cell architecture alongside a range of electron and hole transporting materials. The structural and thermodynamic properties of orthorhombic SnS and other polymorphs have been assessed from first-principles calculations These calculations show good agreement with experimental data, with the exception of zinc blende SnS. This polymorph is predicted to be thermodynamically and kinetically unstable, with a significant discrepancy observed between the calculated and measured lattice parameters for the F43m structure [31].
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