Tin sulfide polymorph (π-SnS) nanoparticles exhibit promising optoelectrical characteristics for photovoltaic and hydrogen production performance, mainly because of the possibility of tuning their properties by adjusting the synthesis conditions. This study demonstrates a chemical approach to synthesize π-SnS nanoparticles and the engineering of their properties by altering the Sn precursor concentration (from 0.04 M to 0.20 M). X-ray diffraction and Raman studies confirmed the presence of pure cubic SnS phase nanoparticles with good crystallinity. SEM images indicated the group of cloudy shaped grains, and XPS results confirmed the presence of Sn and S in the synthesized nanoparticles. Optical studies revealed that the estimated energy bandgap values of the as-synthesized π-SnS nanoparticles varied from 1.52 to 1.68 eV. This work highlights the effects of the Sn precursor concentration on the properties of the π-SnS nanoparticles and describes the bandgap engineering process. Optimized π-SnS nanoparticles were used to deposit nanocrystalline π-SnS thin films using the drop-casting technique, and their physical properties were improved by annealing (300 °C for 2 h).
Keywords: cubic tin sulfide; hydrogen production; nanoparticles; photovoltaic; precursor concentration; thin films; π-SnS.