The Incorporation of Zn Metal into SnS and Its Impact on Photocatalytic Performance

Investigation of the addition of zinc atoms into tin sulfide crystals to boost their performance for environmental use as a photocatalyst. We examine the development methods, physical characteristics and light absorption capabilities of tin sulfide (SnS) materials with zinc additives. A high-temperature solid-state approach allowed researchers to introduce different amounts of Zn into the SnS crystal structure, followed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), as well as UV-visible spectroscopy characterisation. Th e band gap widening effect from Zn doping SnS enables better light absorption across the visible spectrum since the energy gap decreases from 1.043 eV to 1.039 eV. The photocatalytic degradation tests of methylene blue (MB) as a pollutant model demonstrated that Zn-doped SnS outperforms pure SnS as a photocatalyst. The Zn-doped SnS enhanced the photocatalytic performance from 88% to 92% in 120 minutes due to superior charge carrier dissociation and inhibited electron-hole recombination. This work demonstrates Zn-doped SnS potential as an effective photomaterial for wastewater management and environmental cleanup systems through its cost-efficient design.