Highly crystalline anatase TiO nanotubes array films enhanced with BiS for photoelectrochemical applications

The synthesis of bismuth (III) sulphide (BiS)-sensitized titanium dioxide nanotubes arrays (TiO NTAs) was carried out using the SILAR (successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction) method. The effect of different cycles on the performance of a photoanode made of BiS/TiO NTAs in photoelectrochemical cells was investigated. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and UV–visible spectroscopy were used to investigate BiS/TiO NTs morphological, elemental composition, structural and optical absorption, respectively. TiO nanotubes had a tetragonal crystal structure, whereas BiS had an orthorhombic crystal structure, according to XRD measurements. Absorbance spectra showed that the absorbance edges shifted towards longer wavelengths as the number of cycles increased, showing that the optical properties had significantly improved following deposition. BiS/TiO NTAs photoanode was proposed as a viable alternative photoanode in photoelectrochemical applications. The photocurrent density of the BiS/TiO NTAs composite film grew first, then declined as the number of BiS deposition cycles increased. After three cycles of deposition of BiS, the BiS/TiO composite films displayed the highest photoelectrochemical characteristics. The photocurrent density of BiS-3Cy/TiO NTAs was 1.427 mA cm, about four times that of plain TiO NTAs. The BiS/TiO NTAs photoanode was offered as a feasible alternative photoanode in photoelectrochemical applications based on the findings of this study.