l-Cystine-assisted growth of Sb2S3 nanoribbons via solvothermal route

l-Cystine was successfully used as a novel kind of sulfur source to grow Sb2S3 nanoribbons at 180 °C for 24 h in a mixed solution made of ethylene glycol and distilled water. The nanoribbons were usually tens of micronmeters in length, typically 100–300 nm in width. The structure of the nanoribbons was determined to be of the orthorhombic phase. A reasonable possible mechanism for the growth of Sb2S3 nanoribbon structures has been proposed. The as-obtained Sb2S3 products were examined using diverse techniques including X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected-area electron diffraction, and high-resolution TEM.