Abstract
Antimony sulfide (Sb2S3) nanobars are synthesized by the solvothermal method using different concentrations of the antimony chloride salt (SbCl3)at 180 degrees C for 14 h. The effects of 0.75, 0.8, 0.85, and 0.9 mmol of SbCl3 on the compositions, morphologies, and phases of the product are investigated. Raman spectroscopy indicates that the product corresponds to the pure orthorhombic phase of Sb2S3. Transmission electron microscopy indicates that the appearance of the as-synthesized Sb2S3 resembles that of nanobars with a typical width of 200-300 nm, which predominantly grow along the [001] direction. Chemical composition analysis confirms that the sample is composed of S and Sb, and the atomic ratio of Sb/S is close to 2:3, which is confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The phase-pure Sb2S3 nanobars exhibit an optical energy gap between 1.5 eV and 1.74 eV and an absorption coefficient of approximately 104 cm-1, which would thus be suitable for use in photovoltaic applications. Scanning electron microscopy results indicate that the Sb2S3 thin-film-based nanobars are compact and smooth with a grain size of more than 3 mu m. The best results reported here are for the solar cell structure Mo/Sb2S3/CdS/ITO/Ag with an open circuit voltage of 451mV, short circuit current density of 12.47 mA/cm(2), fill factor of 0.61, and conversion efficiency of 3.46%. (C) 2021 Optical Society of America under the terms of the OSA Open Access Publishing Agreement