Studies on the photo-electrochemical behaviour of Bi2S3NPs embedded in a PANINFs matrix

Abstract

A voltammetric technique was used to produce a thin coating of polyaniline nanofibers (PANINFs) on ITO-coated glass substrates. Thereafter, bismuth sulfide nanoparticles (Bi₂S₃NPs) were chemically deposited on the PANINFs layer. The composite films were firmly adhered to the substrate and uniformly distributed. The films were characterized by optical, electron microscopic and electrochemical techniques to identify their possible applications in liquid junction solar cells. The functional properties of the bare Bi₂S₃NPs were increased considerably by using PANINFs as the support materials in the composite matrix. The study of the electrochemical polarization of the synthesized films and subsequent anodic stripping voltammetry enabled the extent of the degradation of the films during polarization to be determined. Electrochemical studies revealed the n-type character of the composite film, which exhibited a substantially higher photo-conversion efficiency than the pure Bi₂S₃NPs film.