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Surfactant-mediated self-assembly of Sb2S3 nanorods during hydrothermal synthesis

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Abstract

In the present work, we report the development of phase pure and highly crystalline stibnite Sb2S3 nanostructures by a surfactant-mediated hydrothermal method. Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as the surfactant has a striking effect on the assembly of nanorods into dumbbell shaped nanorod-bundles. While nanorods with high aspect ratio were formed in absence of the surfactant, dumbbell shaped nanorod bundles were obtained using the surfactant. The structural, morphological, and optical properties were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman scattering, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and UV–visible spectrophotometer. Both XRD and Raman spectroscopy confirmed the formation of orthorhombic phase pure stibnite (Sb2S3). The ratio of Sb to S is found to be close to 2:3, corresponding to Sb2S3. The optical band gap varied in the range of 1.65–1.68 eV depending on the concentration of the surfactant.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors wish to thank P.E. Altuzar Coello for the XRD analysis. Authors also acknowledge the projects CeMIE-Sol 207450/28 and PAPIIT IN107815 for supporting with experimental facilities in nanomaterial synthesis. MP acknowledges the projects PRODEP DSA/103.5/15/7449, PROFOCIE-2015, and VIEP 2016 for the financial support in acquiring some experimental setup. Thanks to Dr. Umapada Pal from Instituto de Fisica of BUAP for extending the facilities of BET measurements. This work has collateral application in project PAPIIT IN 113214.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Física, Benemerita Universidad Autonoma de Puebla, Puebla, C.P. 72570, México

    Mou Pal

  2. Instituto de Energías Renovables, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Temixco, 62580, Morelos, México

    Nini R. Mathews & Xavier Mathew

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  1. Mou Pal
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Correspondence to Mou Pal or Xavier Mathew.

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Pal, M., Mathews, N.R. & Mathew, X. Surfactant-mediated self-assembly of Sb2S3 nanorods during hydrothermal synthesis. Journal of Materials Research 32, 530–538 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2016.470

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