Sb2S3/Sb2O3 Heterojunction for Improving Photoelectrochemical Properties of Sb2S3 Thin Films

Tan, Honglei; Yang, Jia; Cui, Zhaofeng; Tan, Renjie; Li, Teng; Xu, Baoqiang; Li, Shaoyuan; Yang, Bin

doi:10.3390/met15050478

Open AccessArticle

Sb₂S₃/Sb₂O₃ Heterojunction for Improving Photoelectrochemical Properties of Sb₂S₃ Thin Films

by

Honglei Tan

^1,2,3,

Jia Yang

^1,2,3,*

,

Zhaofeng Cui

^1,2,3,

Renjie Tan

^1,2,3,

Teng Li

^1,2,3,

Baoqiang Xu

^1,2,3,

Shaoyuan Li

^1,2,3 and

Bin Yang

^1,2,3

¹

Key Laboratory for Nonferrous Vacuum Metallurgy of Yunnan Province, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650093, China

²

Faculty of Metallurgical and Energy Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650093, China

³

State Key Laboratory of Complex Non-Ferrous Metal Resources Clean Utilization, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650093, China

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Metals 2025, 15(5), 478; https://doi.org/10.3390/met15050478

Submission received: 17 March 2025 / Revised: 21 April 2025 / Accepted: 22 April 2025 / Published: 24 April 2025

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Abstract

We prepared antimony metal films via electrodeposition, followed by the synthesis of Sb₂S₃ films through a chemical vapor phase reaction. Finally, an Sb₂O₃ film was deposited onto the Sb₂S₃ film using a chemical bath method, successfully constructing a heterojunction photocathode of Sb₂S₃/Sb₂O₃; the synthesized Sb₂S₃/Sb₂O₃ heterojunction is classified as a Type I heterostructure. The resulting Sb₂S₃/Sb₂O₃ heterojunction exhibited a photocurrent density of −0.056 mA cm⁻² at −0.15 V (vs. RHE), which is 1.40 times higher than that of Sb₂S₃ alone under simulated solar illumination. Additionally, the Sb₂S₃/Sb₂O₃ heterojunction demonstrated a lower carrier recombination rate and a faster charge transfer rate compared to Sb₂S₃, as evidenced by photoluminescence and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy tests. For these reasons, the Sb₂S₃/Sb₂O₃ heterojunction obtained a hydrogen precipitation rate of 0.163mL cm⁻² h⁻¹, which is twice the hydrogen precipitation rate of Sb₂S₃, under the condition of 60 min of light exposure. The significant enhancement in photoelectrochemical performance is attributed to the formation of the Sb₂S₃/Sb₂O₃ heterojunction, which improves both carrier separation and charge transfer efficiency. This heterojunction strategy holds promising potential for visible light-driven photoelectrochemical water splitting.

Keywords: Sb₂S₃ film; Sb₂S₃/Sb₂O₃ heterojunction; photoelectrochemical; water splitting

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MDPI and ACS Style

Tan, H.; Yang, J.; Cui, Z.; Tan, R.; Li, T.; Xu, B.; Li, S.; Yang, B. Sb₂S₃/Sb₂O₃ Heterojunction for Improving Photoelectrochemical Properties of Sb₂S₃ Thin Films. Metals 2025, 15, 478. https://doi.org/10.3390/met15050478

AMA Style

Tan H, Yang J, Cui Z, Tan R, Li T, Xu B, Li S, Yang B. Sb₂S₃/Sb₂O₃ Heterojunction for Improving Photoelectrochemical Properties of Sb₂S₃ Thin Films. Metals. 2025; 15(5):478. https://doi.org/10.3390/met15050478

Chicago/Turabian Style

Tan, Honglei, Jia Yang, Zhaofeng Cui, Renjie Tan, Teng Li, Baoqiang Xu, Shaoyuan Li, and Bin Yang. 2025. "Sb₂S₃/Sb₂O₃ Heterojunction for Improving Photoelectrochemical Properties of Sb₂S₃ Thin Films" Metals 15, no. 5: 478. https://doi.org/10.3390/met15050478

APA Style

Tan, H., Yang, J., Cui, Z., Tan, R., Li, T., Xu, B., Li, S., & Yang, B. (2025). Sb₂S₃/Sb₂O₃ Heterojunction for Improving Photoelectrochemical Properties of Sb₂S₃ Thin Films. Metals, 15(5), 478. https://doi.org/10.3390/met15050478

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Sb₂S₃/Sb₂O₃ Heterojunction for Improving Photoelectrochemical Properties of Sb₂S₃ Thin Films

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