Issue 4, 2015

Single crystalline Cu2ZnSnS4 nanosheet arrays for efficient photochemical hydrogen generation

Abstract

Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) is promising for application in photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting systems, owing to its high absorption coefficient, abundance, non-toxicity and direct band gap suitable for solar conversion. Here we present a scalable route for the preparation of single crystalline CZTS nanosheet arrays (NSAs) on a conductive glass substrate by using CuS nanosheets (NSs) as a sacrificial template. When employed as a photocathode for PEC solar hydrogen production, the CZTS NSAs yield a photocurrent density of −1.32 mA cm−2 at 0 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode under illumination of AM 1.5. This is the highest value ever reported for a CZTS-based electrode without a co-catalyst and protective layer. The CZTS NSAs photocathode remains active after 3.5 h of testing and maintains 60% of its initial photocurrent. This work demonstrates the reality of using earth-abundant CZTS for efficient hydrogen production.

Graphical abstract: Single crystalline Cu2ZnSnS4 nanosheet arrays for efficient photochemical hydrogen generation

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
03 Nov 2014
Accepted
02 Dec 2014
First published
02 Dec 2014

RSC Adv., 2015,5, 2543-2549

Author version available

Single crystalline Cu2ZnSnS4 nanosheet arrays for efficient photochemical hydrogen generation

B. Li, P. Yin, Y. Zhou, Z. Gao, T. Ling and X. Du, RSC Adv., 2015, 5, 2543 DOI: 10.1039/C4RA13721C

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