Photocatalytic activities of hydrothermal synthesized copper zinc tin sulfide nanostructures

We report the hydrothermal synthesis of visible light absorbing and direct energy bandgap kesterite-structured Cu₂ZnSnS₄ (CZTS) nanoparticles (NP) for photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical (PEC) applications. The crystal structure, morphology, composition, and optical properties of CZTS nanoparticles were analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and UV–Vis microscopy techniques. The tetragonal kesterite phase CZTS nanoparticles with compact spherical morphology with an energy bandgap of about 1.51 eV have been synthesized. The CZTS nanoparticles were employed as a photocatalyst for the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) dye. The study reveals that the CZTS photocatalysts with compact spherical shape showed photoactivity around 55% under indoor visible light illumination. The CZTS photoelectrodes were fabricated on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate using a doctor blade coating method. The detailed photoelectrochemical (PEC) studies demonstrate that CZTS photoelectrode showed 2.98% of photoconversion efficiency.