Novel synthetic route for the synthesis of ternary Cd(SSe) photoelectrode and their photoelectrochemical application

Abstract

In the present investigation, we have synthesized nanocrystalline cadmium sulphoselenide Cd(SSe) thin film photoelectrodes on ultrasonically cleaned bare and fluorine doped tin oxide coated glass substrate using facile, cost effective and extremely convenient arrested precipitation technique at different time intervals (1, 1.5, 2 and 2.5 h). Optical, structural, morphological, compositional and photoelectrochemical (PEC) properties were investigated as function of deposition time. The synthesized films were characterized by UV–Vis-NIR spectrophotometer, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Optical absorption spectrum shows a strong absorption in the wavelength range 300–1100 nm with band gap variation in the range of 2.05–1.87 eV. The XRD patterns shows nanocrystalline nature with crystallite size 58–76 nm and exhibits pure hexagonal crystal structure. The SEM micrograph demonstrates formation of well adherent, pinhole free thin films with nanosphere, nanopetal like morphology which is finally modified into flowerlike morphology. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and HRTEM results confirm the nanocrystalline nature and selected area electron diffraction pattern reveals hexagonal crystal structure of deposited Cd(SSe) thin films. EDS and XPS showed that the composition of Cd(SSe) thin films was of good stoichiometry. Finally these prepared photoelectrodes were tested for their PEC performance in sulphide/polysulphide electrolyte and promising results were found.