Electrodeposition synthesis and characterization of In2S3 microspheres

Abstract

Hollow microspheres of In2S3 of ~3μm in diameter were grown on the surface of thin films of the same material in a simple, fast and one step process by electrodeposition. Structural and morphological characterization as well as the composition of the films were investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy, while optical characterization was done by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. According to our results, a mechanism for the formation of the spheres through the generation of hydrogen was proposed, and it was also found that In2S3 crystallized mainly in the β-In2S3 allotropic form in tetragonal and cubic structures. We found that the spheres were embedded in a nanostructured compact film of ~46nm of average grain diameter. On the other hand, voltammetry sweeps revealed that the films were stable in electrochemical environments and, therefore, a possible application in photovoltaic cells was investigated by measuring the photoelectrical response and testing the films in a photoelectrochemical cell. This last result evidenced that the films showed a fast and stable performance.