One step thermolysis of Sb-Mercaptopropionic acid complex in ambient air atmosphere for growing Sb2S3 thin films with controlled microstructure

Abstract

Synthesis of phase pure Sb2S3 in open atmosphere has been a long-time challenging task due to the oxidation of metal. Here, we demonstrate a robust, one-step solution approach for synthesis of Sb2S3 thin films in open air atmosphere. One-step thermolysis of Sb-MPA complex obtained by mixing antimony chloride and 3-Mercaptopropionic acid (3-MPA) in polar and non-polar solvents yields phase pure thin films. Upon changing the concentration of sulphur in the solvent and polarity of solvent, different microstructures of Sb2S3 such as nanostripes, nanorods and tubular morphology evolve. Irrespective of sulphur concentration in the precursor solution, Sb2S3 thin films are always phase pure and formed in stoichiometric composition. The films are photoconductive in nature and morphology of Sb2S3 influences the photoconductivity. This novel and facile methodology will open new avenues for direct deposition of Sb2S3 thin films for wide range of applications including optoelectronics, photovoltaics and photocatalysis research.