Shining a light on clean energy: A rare earth-combined transition metal sulphide electrode In:SnO2/α-Tb2S3:MnS for photoelectrochemical applications

Abstract

Transparent conducting rare earth metal electrode was fabricated for photoelectrochemical cells composed of Terbium sulphide and Manganese sulphide using the spin coating technique. X-ray diffraction analysis showed α-Tb2S3:MnS with a 46.9 nm crystallite size. The SEM analysis revealed rod-like elongated structures on clustered particles. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was employed to ascertain the core levels of Tb 4d, Mn 2p, and S 2p. The calculated optical bandgap of the composite material was found to be 2.4 eV. Several procedures were implemented to evaluate the electrical efficiency of the photoelectrode within the electrochemical cell. The photocurrent densities of the electrodes utilized in each of the experiments were significantly higher than those observed in the absence of light. At all scan speeds, a rise in photoelectrode specific capacitance was observed in the presence of illumination. The maximum specific capacitance under illumination was determined to be 638 Fg-1, as contrasting to 495 Fg-1 in dark at 5 mVs−1. Research findings indicate that CA exhibited a photocurrent density of 201 mA. The Nyquist plot analysis revealed the cell resistance of 154 Ω and a conductivity of 5.714 × 10−6 Scm−1. Consequently, these outcomes highlight the effectiveness of the photoelectrode for potential use in solar energy conversion systems.