Tartaric Acid Assisted Growth of Sb₂S₃ Nanorods by a Simple Wet Chemical Method

Good quality nanorods of Sb2S3 have been synthesized by a simple wet chemical method under refluxing conditions. In this, tartaric acid has been successfully used as a complexing agent to grow these single-crystalline nanorods at a comparatively much lower temperature (115 °C) than reported earlier (180−200 °C). X-ray diffraction (XRD) and electron diffraction (ED) studies showed that the rods correspond to the pure orthorhombic phase of Sb2S3, the phase purity of which is further confirmed by energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). A possible growth mechanism has been discussed on the basis of a series of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies of the product obtained at different durations. The effect of concentration of tartaric acid on the formation of Sb2S3 and its morphology has also been discussed. The morphology of the final product remained same for different sulfur sources used, though there is small change in dimension. The band gap was found to be 1.56 eV, suitable for photovoltaic applications.