Fabrication and characterization of physical and electrochemical properties of ZnO/ZnS and ZnO/ZnS/ZnO nanostructured composite thin films

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Department of Physics, Faculty of Sciences, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran

Abstract

This research investigates and amends the physical properties of pure ZnO and ZnO/ZnS, ZnO/ZnS/ZnO thin films in detail for the first time. Thin films of ZnO, ZnO/ZnS, and ZnO/ZnS/ZnO were prepared on glass and SnO2: F (FTO) substrates at 300-550℃ by spray pyrolysis technique. The initial solution was prepared using zinc chloride (ZnCl2) and thiourea (SC(NH2)2) for ZnS and Zinc acetate (ZnC₄H₆O₄) for ZnO. The optimum solution molarity ratio of Zn:S was determined to be 2:1. Also, the best volume of pure ZnO solution and pure ZnS solution was 50 mL and 25 mL, respectively. In addition, the optimum flow rate for the deposition of pure ZnO solution and deposition of pure ZnS was 1.4 mL/min and 1.2 mL/min, respectively. The best temperature for deposition of pure ZnO solution and pure ZnS solution in air ambient was 500℃ and 450℃, respectively. The physical, electrochemical, and structural properties of ZnO, ZnO/ZnS, and ZnO/ZnS/ZnO thin films prepared by the spray pyrolysis method were investigated using different analyses. The properties of ZnO, ZnO/ZnS, and ZnO/ZnS/ZnO were characterized by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), Near-infrared (NIR) Spectroscopy, Cyclic Voltammetry (CV), Galvanostatic Charge-Discharge (GCD) and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). The results show that the films have a nano-scale structure. In this respect, the XRD results showed the presence of cubic phase and hexagonal phase corresponding to ZnS with a preferred orientation along the ZnS (111) and (002) cubic and hexagonal direction. FESEM demonstrated a homogeneous and compact surface of the prepared thin films. The electrochemical properties of the nanostructured thin films were determined by CV, GCD and EIS analyses. The nanostructured ZnO/ZnS thin film demonstrates the highest specific capacitance compared to the other prepared thin films.
 

Keywords

References

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Iranian Journal of Crystallography and Mineralogy
Volume 31, Issue 4 - Serial Number 92
December 2023
Pages 795-810

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  • Receive Date: 26 April 2023
  • Revise Date: 09 June 2023
  • Accept Date: 19 July 2023

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