Photoexcited Properties of Tin Sulfide Nanosheet-Decorated ZnO Nanorod Heterostructures

In this study, ZnO–Sn(2)S(3) core–shell nanorod heterostructures were synthesized by sputtering Sn(2)S(3) shell layers onto ZnO rods. The Sn(2)S(3) shell layers consisted of sheet-like crystallites. A structural analysis revealed that the ZnO–Sn(2)S(3) core–shell nanorod heterostructures were highly crystalline. In comparison with ZnO nanorods, the ZnO–Sn(2)S(3) nanorods exhibited a broadened optical absorption edge that extended to the visible light region. The ZnO–Sn(2)S(3) nanorods exhibited substantial visible photodegradation efficiency of methylene blue organic dyes and high photoelectrochemical performance under light illumination. The unique three-dimensional sheet-like Sn(2)S(3) crystallites resulted in the high light-harvesting efficiency of the nanorod heterostructures. Moreover, the efficient spatial separation of photoexcited carriers, attributable to the band alignment between ZnO and Sn(2)S(3), accounted for the superior photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical properties of the ZnO–Sn(2)S(3) core–shell nanorod heterostructures.