Solvent influenced synthesis of single-phase SnS2 nanosheets for solution-processed photodiode fabrication

• Published in: CrystEngComm Vol. 22; no. 3; pp. 525 - 533
• Main Authors: Thangaraju, D, Marnadu, R, Santhana, V, Durairajan, A, Kathirvel, P, Chandrasekaran, J, Jayakumar, S, Valente, M A, Greenidge, Darius C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge Royal Society of Chemistry 2020
• Subjects: Boiling points; Diodes; Heterojunctions; Microscopes; Nanosheets; Oleic acid; Photodiodes; Photosensitivity; Raman spectroscopy; Silicon substrates; Solvents; Synthesis; Tin disulfide
• ISSN: 1466-8033
• DOI: 10.1039/c9ce01417a

The effect of variant high boiling point solvent combinations in the synthesis and photo-sensing characteristics of tin disulfide (SnS2) thin nanosheets were investigated. Solvent dependent single-phase formation was observed by powder X-ray diffractometry (XRD), and results were verified with Raman spectroscopy measurements. Particles synthesized with only oleylamine show a mixed-phase, and two other solvent combinations such as oleylamine + oleic acid + n-octadecene, and oleylamine + oleic acid, show single-phase 2H–SnS2, without phase contamination. Scanning and transmission electron microscopes were used to verify the orbicular and hexagonal shape of synthesized SnS2 nanosheets. Well-characterized samples were employed to fabricate heterojunction photosensitive diodes using a p-type silicon substrate. Light-responsive measurement results of fabricated diodes indicate that the oleylamine + oleic acid synthesized sample show very high light-sensitivity, and the fill factor value of a fabricated diode is closer to the ideal diode.