Influence of Hydrothermal Synthesis Conditions on the Structural Characteristics and Photoelectrochemical Properties of Bi2O2S
摘要
The influence of hydrothermal synthesis conditions on the structural characteristics and photoelectrochemical properties of synthesized materials are studied using bismuth nitrate (Bi(NO3)3) and thiourea (CS(NH2)2) as precursors of bismuth oxysulfide (Bi2O2S). The influence of the following synthesis parameters is considered: solution′s pH, alkali type, time and temperature of the hydrothermal treatment, posttreatment conditions. The synthesized materials are characterized by powder XRD analysis, UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and photoelectrochemical methods to determine the photocurrent and flat-band potential. The conducted physico-chemical study reveals the importance of using excess alkali for formation of the oxysulfide phase, dependence of particle size on the time of hydrothermal treatment, and the influence of additional calcination conditions on the presence of photoactive surface defects.