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Chemical synthesis of orthorhombic Ag8SnS6/zinc oxide nanorods photoanodes for photoelectrochemical salt-water splitting

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Abstract

Orthorhombic Ag8SnS6/ZnO nanorods grown onto indium-tin-oxide conductive glass substrates were prepared using a simple chemical synthesis method for the application in photoelectrochemical salt-water splitting. For the deposition of ZnO nanorods on substrates, the concentrations of ammonium hydroxide in the solution bath were changed to obtain the pristine ZnO nanorods with good morphology for the growth of silver-tin-sulfide layer. Pristine ZnO nanorods prepared with concentration of 5.5 M for ammonium hydroxide in the reaction solution has the highest intensity of (0 0 2) crystal plane, which indicates that pristine ZnO nanorods sample has good morphology for the preparation of the Ag8SnS6 core/shell photoanode. From the results of X-ray diffraction patterns and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis for samples, with decreasing [Ag]/[Ag + Sn] molar ratio in the reaction solution, crystal phases of samples changed from Ag2S/SnS/ZnO, orthorhombic Ag8SnS6/ZnO to Ag8SnS6/SnS/ZnO mixing phases. The values of sample’s energy band gap were located in the range of 1.36 ~ 1.79 eV. At the [Ag]/[Ag + Sn] molar ratio of 0.4 in the reaction solution, the maximum photoelectrochemical activity of 0.79 mA cm−2 for samples was obtained with the external bias set at + 1.5 V vs. an Ag/AgCl electrode in 0.5 M NaCl aqueous solution. The photoelectrochemical activity of sample could remain at least 2000 s without any decay in the salt-water solution.

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Acknowledgements

This work was sponsored by the Ministry of Science and Technology of Taiwan, under Grants of 106-2628-E-182-002-MY3(NERPD2G0293), 109-2221-E-182-001 (NERPD2K0021) and Chang Gung Memorial Hospital under Grant No. BMRP948.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Chang Gung University, No. 259 Wen-Hwa 1st Rd., Kwei-Shan, Taoyüan, 333, Taiwan

    Kuan-Yi Lee & Kong-Wei Cheng

  2. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung Branch, Keelung, Taiwan

    Kong-Wei Cheng

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  1. Kuan-Yi Lee
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Correspondence to Kong-Wei Cheng.

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Lee, KY., Cheng, KW. Chemical synthesis of orthorhombic Ag8SnS6/zinc oxide nanorods photoanodes for photoelectrochemical salt-water splitting. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 32, 10532–10548 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-021-05709-9

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