Synthesis, Optical, Electrical, and Thermoelectric Characterization of SbSI/Graphite Nanocomposite

Carbon nanocomposites have gained interest due to the rapid development of nanotechnology. The graphite-based composites have been demonstrated to possess unique mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties. This paper presents a facile one-step sonochemical synthesis of antimony sulfoiodide (SbSI)/graphite nanocomposite. The weight concentrations of graphite in the prepared material varied from 0% to 33.3%. The morphology and chemical composition of the SbSI/graphite nanocomposites are studied with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), respectively. SEM examination shows that SbSI/graphite nanocomposite consists of one-dimensional SbSI nanostructures and graphite microparticles. The influence of graphite concentration on the energy band gap of SbSI/graphite nanocomposite is investigated using diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). The prepared materials are cold-pressed to obtain the bulk samples. They are characterized by direct current (DC) electrical measurements and thermoelectric examination. The increase in the graphite concentration in the SbSI/graphite nanocomposite resulted in a significant reduction in the electrical resistivity of the material. The Seebeck coefficients of the pristine SbSI nanowires and SbSI/graphite nanocomposite are determined for the first time. The investigations of the thermoelectric effect reveal that these nanomaterials exhibited p-type electrical conductivity. The thermoelectric power factor of the SbSI/graphite nanocomposite is examined as a function of the graphite concentration. The presented work demonstrates the comprehensive optical, electrical, and thermoelectric characterization of novel hybrid SbSI/graphite nanocomposites, which has not been studied before.