A SnS2 molecular precursor for conformal nanostructured coatings

Abstract

We present a simple, versatile, and scalable procedure to produce SnS2 nanostructured layers based on an amine/thiol-based molecular ink. The ratios amine/thiol and Sn/S, and the reaction conditions, are systematically investigated to produce phase-pure SnS2 planar and conformal layers with a tremella-like SnS2 morphology. Such nanostructured layers are characterized by excellent photocurrent densities. The same strategy can be used to produce SnS2–graphene composites by simply introducing graphene oxide (GO) into the initial solution. Conveniently, the solvent mixture is able to simultaneously dissolve the Sn and Se powders and reduce the GO. Furthermore, SnS2-xSex ternary coatings and phase-pure SnSe2 can be easily produced by simply incorporating proper amounts of Se into the initial ink formulation. Finally, the potential of this precursor ink to produce gram-scale amounts of unsupported SnS2 is investigated.