Phase-controlled synthesis and photocatalytic properties of SnS, SnS2 and SnS/SnS2 heterostructure nanocrystals

•Tin sulfide nanoflakes were synthesized via one-step phase-controlled process.•The synthesis process can be mediated by the additional amount of CS2.•Tin sulfides showed good photoresponse property and photocatalytic performance.

A phase-controlled synthesis of well-defined tin sulphides, including SnS, SnS2 and SnS/SnS2 heterostructured materials, was developed by one-step pyrolysis method. Such a phase-controlled process was realized by changing the amount of CS2 in the precursor, in which pure SnS and SnS2 flakes were obtained upon no CS2 involved or CS2 excessively existed, while SnS/SnS2 heterostructured material formed by adding a suitable amount of CS2 to the precursor, following the Ostwald ripening. As-prepared tin sulphides materials showed a wide-range UV–vis absorption (300–800 nm) and excellent photoresponse property; particularly, SnS/SnS2 heterostructured material showed improved photocatalytic performance on photodegrading organic dyes, compared with that of as-synthesized pure phases of SnS and SnS2 materials.

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