Photoexcited Properties of Tin Sulfide Nanosheet-Decorated ZnO Nanorod Heterostructures

Abstract

In this study, ZnO–Sn2S3 core–shell nanorod heterostructures were synthesized by sputtering Sn2S3 shell layers onto ZnO rods. The Sn2S3 shell layers consisted of sheet-like crystallites. A structural analysis revealed that the ZnO–Sn2S3 core–shell nanorod heterostructures were highly crystalline. In comparison with ZnO nanorods, the ZnO–Sn2S3 nanorods exhibited a broadened optical absorption edge that extended to the visible light region. The ZnO–Sn2S3 nanorods exhibited substantial visible photodegradation efficiency of methylene blue organic dyes and high photoelectrochemical performance under light illumination. The unique three-dimensional sheet-like Sn2S3 crystallites resulted in the high light-harvesting efficiency of the nanorod heterostructures. Moreover, the efficient spatial separation of photoexcited carriers, attributable to the band alignment between ZnO and Sn2S3, accounted for the superior photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical properties of the ZnO–Sn2S3 core–shell nanorod heterostructures.