One-dimensional SbSI crystals from Sb, S, and I mixtures in ethylene glycol for solar energy harvesting

Crystalline SbSI nanorods were synthesized using mixed sonication-heating route using a high boiling solvent (ethylene glycol—EG). The use of a high boiling solvent reveals that the temperature is responsible for self-assembly of amorphous SbSI nuclei to 1D crystal. X-ray diffraction analysis of this material showed that 1D SbSI was single crystalline and grows along c-direction of its orthorhombic structure. The elemental composition of SbSI nanorods was estimated by EDXS and was found to be with 33.92% Sb, 32.74% S, and 33.34% I. The optical bandgap of the material was 1.88 eV. Application of SbSI as a photon-absorbing material in a carbon-based solar cell has been assessed. Its photo-conversion efficiency was of 0.035% under simulated solar radiation, with a short-circuit current density of 0.4 mA/cm2 and open-circuit voltage of 290 mV.