Fabrication and characterization of SbSI gel for humidity sensors

A sonochemical method for direct preparation in water of a gel consisted of nanocrystalline antimony sulfoiodide (SbSI) nanowires is presented for the first time. The product was characterized by using techniques such as powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, selected area electron diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, optical diffuse reflection spectroscopy and IR spectroscopy. The electrical properties of the fabricated nanomaterial have been investigated, too. The nanowires are a semiconducting ferroelectric with Curie constant equal C = 1.41(14) × 104 K and Curie temperature equal TC = 293.0(2) K. The indirect allowed energy band gap of this material is EgIa = 1.880(2) eV. Such prepared SbSI nanowires have optical and electrical properties suitable for ferroelectric nanosensors.