Influence of Cu doping on the functionality of spray coated SnS2 thin films and its photocatalytic degradation of dyes and antibacterial activity

Imane Radja, Abdelkader Nebatti Ech-Chergui*, Atef Zekri, Ashmalina Rahman, Yasmina Khane, Farid Bennabi, Ali Sadek Kadari, M’hamed Guezzoul, Adriana Popa, Kouider Driss-Khodja, Brahim Aïssa, Bouhalouane Amrani, Mohammad Mansoob Khan

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Tin sulfide (SnS2) is a material known for its effective photocatalytic activity due to its affordability and wide light spectrum response. To enhance and optimize its optical and chemical characteristics, doping is a straightforward approach that can improve its photocatalytic efficiency. This work focuses on the effect of Cu doping on the structural, optical, and photocatalytic properties of the thin films prepared by the spray-coating approach. XRD confirms the hexagonal SnS2 structure. As the amount of Cu added increases, the crystallite size decreases while dislocation density rises. The XPS findings show that a low concentration of copper (2%) within the SnS2 thin films exhibits both high solubility and exclusively a monovalent state, in contrast to the 4% concentration. The effective band gap is in the range of 1.9-2.2 eV. SEM image reveals a variety of morphologies, and the porosity is reduced with increasing Cu doping. Furthermore, the FTIR study confirms the Sn-S bond present at 753 cm−1. EPR studies reveal the existence of sulfur vacancies in Cu-doped SnS2. Mechanical properties were also affected, with an observed decrease in microhardness as the dopant concentration increased. The photocatalytic activity of the samples is studied by photocatalytic degradation of malachite green and Congo red dyes under visible light irradiation. Additionally, their antibacterial effect against Escherichia coli was examined. This study shows that an optimal amount of Cu doping can significantly increase the photocatalytic performance of SnS2 for efficiently decomposing organic pollutants and enhancing antibacterial activities.

Original languageEnglish
Article number065966
JournalPhysica Scripta
Volume99
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jun 2024

Keywords

  • Cu-doped SnS film
  • antibacterial activity
  • congo red
  • escherichia coli
  • photocatalysis
  • spray coated
  • tin sulfide

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