In2S3/Cu2O type-II heterojunction bonded by interfacial S-O bond for enhanced charge separation and transport in photoelectrochemical water splitting

Zihang Wang, Qi Wang, Lanlan Zhang, Chengwei Hu, Yuanhu Lei, Shihao Han, Bing Lv and Wenzhong Wang

Renewable Energy, 2025, vol. 241, issue C

Abstract: The photoelectrochemical performance of In2S3 nanosheets as a photoanode is severely limited by the inefficiency of charge transport. To address this constraint, the photoelectrochemical performance is enhanced by fabricating the In2S3/Cu2O heterojunction through chemical bath deposition followed by vacuum annealing. Notably, the formation of a strong S-O chemical bonds at the interface between In2S3 and Cu2O after vacuum annealing treatment was revealed by X-ray photoelectron spectra and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analyses, leading to a significant enhancement in the photoelectrochemical performance and stability for water splitting. The type-II band structure of the In2S3/Cu2O heterojunction is confirmed using ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometry and electrochemical techniques. Under simulated sunlight irradiation with 0.75 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode, the photocurrent density of the In2S3/Cu2O photoanode reached 177.5 μA/cm2, which is 7.4 times higher than that of the unmodified In2S3 nanosheets. Furthermore, the work function of In2S3/Cu2O heterojunction is calculated using density functional theory, demonstrating its inherent charge transfer mechanism.

Keywords: In2S3/Cu2O heterojunction; Type-II band structure; S-O chemical bond; Photoelectrochemical properties (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:renene:v:241:y:2025:i:c:s096014812402384x

DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2024.122316

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