Directly hydrothermal growth of CdIn2S4 nanosheet films on FTO substrates for photoelectric application

In this paper, CdIn2S4 films composed of nanosheets have been directly deposited on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates using a simple hydrothermal method. The crystal structure, morphology, composition, and optical properties of the CdIn2S4 films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analyzer (EDX), X-ray photoelectron spectrum (XPS), and UV–vis spectra. In addition, the reaction conditions influencing the formation of CdIn2S4 films, such as reaction time and the sulfur source, were investigated. The l-cysteine acting as sulfur source was found to play an important role in the formation of the final films. A possible growth mechanism for the formation CdIn2S4 films on FTO substrates has been proposed. And the photoelectrochemical properties were also investigated.

► In this paper, CdIn2S4 nanosheet films are synthesized on FTO substrate.
► The formation processes were studied, and possible mechanism was also proposed.
► The l-cysteine was found to play a key role in the formation of the final films.
► The photoelectrochemical properties of the films were also studied.