Elucidating Carrier Dynamics and Interface Engineering in Sb2S3: Toward Efficient Photoanode for Water Oxidation

Irene Dei Tos; Angelica Simbula; Julian Guerrero; Thanh Dong; Sownder Subramaniam; Beatriz de la Fuente; Vishal K. Jose; Yinghuan Kuang; Tom Aernouts; Negar Naghavi; Sudhanshu Shukla; Bart Vermang

doi:10.1002/cssc.202402764

Elucidating Carrier Dynamics and Interface Engineering in Sb₂S₃: Toward Efficient Photoanode for Water Oxidation

Irene Dei Tos, Angelica Simbula, Julian Guerrero, Thanh Dong, Sownder Subramaniam, Beatriz de la Fuente, Vishal K. Jose, Yinghuan Kuang, Tom Aernouts, Negar Naghavi, Sudhanshu Shukla, Bart Vermang

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Conjugation of low-cost and high-performance semiconductors is essential in solar-driven photoelectrochemical (PEC) energy conversion. Sb₂S₃ is a wide-bandgap (≈1.7 eV) semiconductor with the potential to deliver a maximum photocurrent density of 24.5 mA cm⁻², making it highly attractive for PEC water splitting applications. However, bulk Sb₂S₃ exhibits intrinsic recombination issues and low electron–hole separation, posing a limit to photocurrent generation. This study clarifies the carrier dynamics by ultrafast spectroscopy measurements and proposes the design of a heterojunction between Sb₂S₃ and SnO₂, with suitable band-edge energy offset. The SnO₂/Sb₂S₃ heterojunction enhances the charge separation efficiency, resulting in improvement of the photocurrent. The SnO₂/Sb₂S₃ photoanode, fabricated entirely by vapor deposition processes, demonstrates photoelectrochemical water oxidation with a photocurrent density up to ≈3 mA cm⁻² at 1.38 V versus RHE.

Original language	English
Article number	e202402764
Journal	ChemSusChem
Volume	18
Issue number	14
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/cssc.202402764
Publication status	Published - 17 Jul 2025

Keywords

carrier dynamics
charge transfer
heterojunctions
photoelectrochemical cells
water splitting

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1002/cssc.202402764

Cite this

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title = "Elucidating Carrier Dynamics and Interface Engineering in Sb2S3: Toward Efficient Photoanode for Water Oxidation",

abstract = "Conjugation of low-cost and high-performance semiconductors is essential in solar-driven photoelectrochemical (PEC) energy conversion. Sb2S3 is a wide-bandgap (≈1.7 eV) semiconductor with the potential to deliver a maximum photocurrent density of 24.5 mA cm−2, making it highly attractive for PEC water splitting applications. However, bulk Sb2S3 exhibits intrinsic recombination issues and low electron–hole separation, posing a limit to photocurrent generation. This study clarifies the carrier dynamics by ultrafast spectroscopy measurements and proposes the design of a heterojunction between Sb2S3 and SnO2, with suitable band-edge energy offset. The SnO2/Sb2S3 heterojunction enhances the charge separation efficiency, resulting in improvement of the photocurrent. The SnO2/Sb2S3 photoanode, fabricated entirely by vapor deposition processes, demonstrates photoelectrochemical water oxidation with a photocurrent density up to ≈3 mA cm−2 at 1.38 V versus RHE.",

keywords = "carrier dynamics, charge transfer, heterojunctions, photoelectrochemical cells, water splitting",

author = "Tos, \{Irene Dei\} and Angelica Simbula and Julian Guerrero and Thanh Dong and Sownder Subramaniam and Fuente, \{Beatriz de la\} and Jose, \{Vishal K.\} and Yinghuan Kuang and Tom Aernouts and Negar Naghavi and Sudhanshu Shukla and Bart Vermang",

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doi = "10.1002/cssc.202402764",

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T1 - Elucidating Carrier Dynamics and Interface Engineering in Sb2S3

T2 - Toward Efficient Photoanode for Water Oxidation

AU - Tos, Irene Dei

AU - Simbula, Angelica

AU - Guerrero, Julian

AU - Dong, Thanh

AU - Subramaniam, Sownder

AU - Fuente, Beatriz de la

AU - Jose, Vishal K.

AU - Kuang, Yinghuan

AU - Aernouts, Tom

AU - Naghavi, Negar

AU - Shukla, Sudhanshu

AU - Vermang, Bart

PY - 2025/7/17

Y1 - 2025/7/17

N2 - Conjugation of low-cost and high-performance semiconductors is essential in solar-driven photoelectrochemical (PEC) energy conversion. Sb2S3 is a wide-bandgap (≈1.7 eV) semiconductor with the potential to deliver a maximum photocurrent density of 24.5 mA cm−2, making it highly attractive for PEC water splitting applications. However, bulk Sb2S3 exhibits intrinsic recombination issues and low electron–hole separation, posing a limit to photocurrent generation. This study clarifies the carrier dynamics by ultrafast spectroscopy measurements and proposes the design of a heterojunction between Sb2S3 and SnO2, with suitable band-edge energy offset. The SnO2/Sb2S3 heterojunction enhances the charge separation efficiency, resulting in improvement of the photocurrent. The SnO2/Sb2S3 photoanode, fabricated entirely by vapor deposition processes, demonstrates photoelectrochemical water oxidation with a photocurrent density up to ≈3 mA cm−2 at 1.38 V versus RHE.

AB - Conjugation of low-cost and high-performance semiconductors is essential in solar-driven photoelectrochemical (PEC) energy conversion. Sb2S3 is a wide-bandgap (≈1.7 eV) semiconductor with the potential to deliver a maximum photocurrent density of 24.5 mA cm−2, making it highly attractive for PEC water splitting applications. However, bulk Sb2S3 exhibits intrinsic recombination issues and low electron–hole separation, posing a limit to photocurrent generation. This study clarifies the carrier dynamics by ultrafast spectroscopy measurements and proposes the design of a heterojunction between Sb2S3 and SnO2, with suitable band-edge energy offset. The SnO2/Sb2S3 heterojunction enhances the charge separation efficiency, resulting in improvement of the photocurrent. The SnO2/Sb2S3 photoanode, fabricated entirely by vapor deposition processes, demonstrates photoelectrochemical water oxidation with a photocurrent density up to ≈3 mA cm−2 at 1.38 V versus RHE.

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KW - heterojunctions

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