Photoconversion efficiency of In2S3/ZnO core-shell heterostructures nanorod arrays deposited via controlled SILAR cycles
Mohammed Rashid Almamari,
Naser M. Ahmed,
Araa Mebdir Holi,
F.K. Yam,
Mohammed Z. Al-Abri,
M.A. Almessiere,
Basma A. El-Badry,
M.A. Ibrahem,
Osamah A. Aldaghri,
Khalid Hassan Ibnaouf
Affiliations
Mohammed Rashid Almamari
School of Physics, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia; Nanotechnology Research Center, Sultan Qaboos University, P.O Box 17, Al Khoud, Muscat, PC 123, Oman
Naser M. Ahmed
School of Physics, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia; Department of Medical Instrumentation Engineering, Dijlah University College, Baghdad, Iraq; Corresponding author.
Araa Mebdir Holi
Department of Physics, College of Education, University of Al-Qadisiyah, Al-Diwaniyah, Al-Qadisiyah, 58002, Iraq
F.K. Yam
School of Physics, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia
Mohammed Z. Al-Abri
Nanotechnology Research Center, Sultan Qaboos University, P.O Box 17, Al Khoud, Muscat, PC 123, Oman; Department of Petroleum and Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, Sultan Qaboos University, P.O Box 33, Al Khould, Muscat, PC 123, Oman
M.A. Almessiere
Department of Physics, College of Science, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, P.O BOX 1982, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia; Department of Biophysics, Institute for Research & Medical Consultations (IRMC), Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, P.O. Box 1982, 31441, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
Basma A. El-Badry
Department of Physics, College of Science, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh 13318, Saudi Arabia; Department of Physics, College of Women for Arts, Science and Education, Ain-Shams University, Cairo 11757, Egypt
M.A. Ibrahem
Department of Physics, College of Science, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh 13318, Saudi Arabia
Osamah A. Aldaghri
Department of Physics, College of Science, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh 13318, Saudi Arabia
Khalid Hassan Ibnaouf
Department of Physics, College of Science, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh 13318, Saudi Arabia; Corresponding author.
This paper reports the structures, morphologies, optical properties, and photoconversion efficiency (η%) of the In2S3/ZnO core-shell heterostructures nanorod arrays (IZCSHNRAs) produced via the controlled successive ionic layer absorption and reaction (SILAR) cycles. As-produced samples were characterized using XRD, FESEM, TEM, UV-Vis, PL, XPS and FTIR techniques. The proposed IZCSHNRAs revealed nearly double photocurrent density and η% values compared to the pure ZnO nanorod arrays (ZNRAs). In addition, the light absorption, crystallinity and microstructures of the specimens were appreciably improved with the increase of the SILAR cycles. The deposited nanoparticles of In2S3 (ISNPs) on the ZNRAs surface was responsible for the improvement in the heterostructures, light absorption and photogenerated electron–hole pairs separation, thus enhancing the photoconversion performance. It is established that a simple SILAR approach can be very useful to produce good quality IZCSHNRAs-based photoelectrodes required for the future development of high performance photoelectrochemical cells (PECs).
