l-Cystine-assisted growth of Sb2S3 nanoribbons via solvothermal route

l-Cystine was successfully used as a novel kind of sulfur source to grow Sb2S3 nanoribbons at 180 °C for 24 h in a mixed solution made of ethylene glycol and distilled water. The nanoribbons were usually tens of micronmeters in length, typically 100-300 nm in width. The structure of the nanoribbons was determined to be of the orthorhombic phase. A reasonable possible mechanism for the growth of Sb2S3 nanoribbon structures has been proposed. The as-obtained Sb2S3 products were examined using diverse techniques including X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected-area electron diffraction, and high-resolution TEM.