In:SnO2/Yb2S3:Cu2S:ZnS: A Rare Earth Metal Sulfide-Conjugated Transition Metal Sulfide Photoactive Electrode

Abstract

Spin coating from a single source precursor is used to produce a transparent conductive electrode for a photoelectrochemical cell. Yb2S3:Cu2S:ZnS is discovered in the composite using X-ray diffraction analysis with a crystallite size of 44 nm. Energy-dispersive X-ray analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveal that the composite comprises Yb, Cu, Zn, and S with an optical bandgap of 2.49 eV. Electrical investigations in a photoelectrochemical cell are measured using cyclic voltammetry, linear sweep voltammetry, transient chronoamperometry (CA), and electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Every experiment shows that the photocurrent density of the electrode is higher than when it is in the light. At all scan rates, light causes the photoelectrode's specific capacitance to increase. Specific capacitance is found to have a maximum value under illumination of 789 Fg−1 as opposed to 745 Fg−1 in the absence of a light source. The highest photocurrent density achieved by the electrode through CA is 23.5 mA. Rs value of 23.4 Ω is subsequently obtained by the EIS investigation. It might be stated that this work introduces a useful photoelectrode that can be used in renewable energy systems such as photovoltaics, supercapacitors, and photoelectrochemical solar cells.