Efficacious performance of photoactive electrode In:SnO2/Er2S3:In2S3 in a photoelectrochemical system

Abstract

A transparent conductive electrode using Erbium sulphide and Indium sulphide composite for a photoelectrochemical cell was created from a single source precursor using spin coating. X-ray diffraction examination presented Er2S3-In2S3 in the composite with 56 nm crystallite size. Hexagonal structures were observed through SEM analysis. Er 4d, In 3d and S 2p core levels were detected by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The composite displayed an optical band gap of 4.12 eV. Using cyclic voltammetry, linear sweep voltammetry, transient chronoamperometry (CA), and electrical impedance spectroscopy, electrical studies in a photoelectrochemical cell were measured. In every experiment, the electrode showed a markedly higher photocurrent density than in dark. A rise in the photoelectrode's specific capacitance in the presence of illumination was also noted across all scan rates. Specific capacitance was determined to have a maximum value under illumination of 421 Fg−1 as contrasted to 381 Fg−1 in the absence of a light source at 5 mVs−1. CA also presented a good photocurrent density of 27.6 mA. Nyquist plot presented the Rs to be 20.8 Ω of the cell and a conductivity of 4.22 × 10−5 Scm−1. An effective photoelectrode that can be employed in renewable energy systems was thus presented by the study.