Electrochemical approaches for rearrangement of lead sulfide thin films prepared by SILAR method

Potentiostatic and potentiodynamic approaches have been performed for rearrangement of lead sulfide thin films prepared by a successive ionic layer adsorption and desorption technique on Au electrodes. Potentiostatic processes have been applied by potential-controlled electrolyses at -450 mV and potentiodynamic applications have been performed by cyclic voltammetry scanning potential between -800 and 50 mV on lead sulfide modified Au electrodes in pH 5.9 solution. These potential values have been determined by considering underpotential deposition of both lead and sulfur as a result of cyclic voltammetry experiments of lead sulfide modified Au working electrodes. Scanning electron microscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy, and powder X-ray diffraction results show that electrochemical approaches cause a transformation from amorphous to polycrystalline structure for PbS thin films. UV-visible-near infrared spectroscopy investigation of the samples reveals that the optical properties of lead sulfide thin films are protected after electrochemical processes. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.