Synthesis of SbS nanosphere layer by chemical bath deposition for the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue dye.

An antimony tri-sulfide SbS nanosphere photocatalyst was effectively deposited utilizing sodium thiosulfate and antimony chloride as the starting precursors in a chemical bath deposition process. This approach is appropriate for the large-area depositions of SbS at low deposition temperatures without the sulfurization process since it is based on the hydrolytic decomposition of starting compounds in aqueous solution. X-ray diffraction patterns and Raman spectroscopy analysis revealed the formation of amorphous SbS layers. The scanning electron microscopy images revealed that the deposited SbS has integrated small nanospheres into sub-microspheres with a significant surface area, resulting in increased photocatalytic activity. The optical direct bandgap of the SbS layer was estimated to be about 2.53 eV, making amorphous SbS appropriate for the photodegradation of organic pollutants in the presence of solar light. The possibility of using the prepared SbS layer in the photodegradation of methylene blue aqueous solutions was investigated. The degradation of methylene blue dye was performed to evaluate the photocatalytic property of SbS under visible light. The amorphous SbS exhibited photocatalytic activity for the decolorization of methylene blue solution under visible light. The mechanism for the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue has been proposed. Our results suggest that the amorphous SbS nanospheres are valuable material for addressing environmental remediation issues.