Intercrossed Sheet-Like Ga-Doped ZnS Nanostructures with Superb Photocatalytic Actvitiy and Photoresponse

Intercrossed ZnS nanostructures doped with Ga (ZnS:Ga nanowalls) have been synthesized in high yield from mixed powders in a vacuum furnace. ZnS:Ga nanowalls were grown vertically on the substrate with the size in the range of several micrometers and the thickness down to ∼15 nm and have very rough edges. Due to the high surface area and distinctive morphology of ZnS:Ga nanowalls, the photocatalytic activity and the photoresponse show superior properties compared to ZnS:Ga films. The increased conductivity of metal−semiconductor−metal (Ag−ZnS:Ga nanowalls−Ag) Schottky photodetectors under light illumination is attributed to the photogenerated electron−hole pairs, the desorption of oxygen molecules on the ZnS:Ga surface, and the lowering of the Schottky barrier height. The results indicate that ZnS:Ga nanowalls are promising candidate materials for photocatalysts and applicable as photodetectors, optical switches, and sensors in the visible light region.