Insights into photoluminescence property and photocatalytic activity of cubic and rhombohedral ZnIn{sub 2}S{sub 4}

Journal Article · Mon Aug 15 00:00:00 EDT 2011 · Journal of Solid State Chemistry

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jssc.2011.06.033· OSTI ID:21580183

Penghui, Guo; Liang, Zhao; Yuanchang, Du ^[1]

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1. State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Flow in Power Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi 710049 (China)

Cubic and rhombohedral ZnIn{sub 2}S{sub 4} were synthesized by thermal sulfidation of Zn-In mixed oxide precursor in H{sub 2}S atmosphere at different temperatures. Cubic ZnIn{sub 2}S{sub 4} was obtained when Zn-In mixed oxide precursor was sulfurized at 400 deg. C. With sulfidation temperature increasing from 400 to 800 deg. C, the crystal phase of ZnIn{sub 2}S{sub 4} gradually turned from cubic to rhombohedral, which was demonstrated by different analysis techniques such as XRD, Raman, SEM, etc. UV-vis absorption spectra indicated that cubic ZnIn{sub 2}S{sub 4} displayed better light absorption property than rhombohedral ZnIn{sub 2}S{sub 4}, with band gaps calculated to be 2.0 and 2.5 eV, respectively. However, under visible light irradiation, rhombohedral ZnIn{sub 2}S{sub 4} photocatalyzed H{sub 2} evolution from aqueous sodium sulfite/sulfide solution efficiently, whereas cubic ZnIn{sub 2}S{sub 4} was not active for this reaction. The photoluminescence property revealed the different dynamics of photogenerated carriers, which made a predominant contribution to the increasing photocatalytic performances of ZnIn{sub 2}S{sub 4} with crystal phase turning from cubic to rhombohedral. - Graphical Abstract: Rhombohedral ZnIn{sub 2}S{sub 4} showed a superior photocatalytic activity for H{sub 2} evolution than cubic ZnIn{sub 2}S{sub 4}, which was proved to be related with their different dynamics of photogenerated carriers. Highlights: > Cubic and rhombohedral ZnIn{sub 2}S{sub 4} were synthesized by thermal sulfidation. > Rhombohedral ZnIn{sub 2}S{sub 4} could photocatalyze H{sub 2} evolution efficiently. > The dynamics of photogenerated carriers affected the photocatalytic activity.

• OSTI ID: 21580183
• Journal Information: Journal of Solid State Chemistry, Vol. 184, Issue 8; Other Information: DOI: 10.1016/j.jssc.2011.06.033; PII: S0022-4596(11)00361-6; Copyright (c) 2011 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; ISSN 0022-4596
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
ABSORPTION
ABSORPTION SPECTRA
CRYSTALS
HYDROGEN
PHOTOCATALYSIS
PHOTOLUMINESCENCE
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
SULFIDATION
SULFITES
TRIGONAL LATTICES
VISIBLE RADIATION
X-RAY DIFFRACTION
CATALYSIS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COHERENT SCATTERING
CRYSTAL LATTICES
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
DIFFRACTION
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
ELEMENTS
EMISSION
LUMINESCENCE
MICROSCOPY
NONMETALS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHOTON EMISSION
RADIATIONS
SCATTERING
SORPTION
SPECTRA
SULFUR COMPOUNDS