Thickness-Dependent Photocatalytic Activity of RF Magnetron Sputtered SnSe Thin Films for Methylene Blue Degradation
摘要
Photocatalysis has emerged as a pioneering green technology to address the wide range of challenges related to decomposition of harmful organic dyes in wastewater, yielding less toxic byproducts. In our work, the photocatalytic properties of tin selenide (SnSe) thin films were studied using methylene blue as a representative dye. SnSe thin films were grown using radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. To analyze the structural and physical characteristics of the thin films, several techniques were utilized, including x-ray diffraction for phase and crystallinity study, field-emission scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive x-ray analysis (EDAX) for surface morphology and elemental composition, ultraviolet (UV)–visible spectroscopy for optical analysis, and Raman spectroscopy to investigate the vibrational modes of the SnSe thin films. Photocatalytic activity was assessed via UV–visible absorption spectroscopy in the range 400–800 nm by measuring methylene blue photodegradation under sunlight irradiation. The results demonstrate that SnSe thin films exhibit excellent photocatalytic efficiency, with 96.1% and 96.5% photodegradation achieved in 715 min of light exposure for films with thickness of 38 nm and 210 nm, respectively. The rate constants for the photocatalytic reaction were determined to be 0.00477 min−1 and 0.00486 min−1 for films with thickness of 38 nm and 210 nm, respectively. This study highlights the potential of tin selenide thin films as an excellent photocatalyst for wastewater treatment problems.