Electrosynthesis of cadmium sulfide on sulfur- or thiol-modified polycrystalline gold electrodes

This paper describes a two-step electrosynthesis approach for the preparation of CdS semiconductor layers on polycrystalline Au substrates. The sulfide ion precursor required for in situ CdS precipitation can be electrogenerated (via cathodic stripping) either from a pre-formed sulfur layer or a thiol-based self-assembled monolayer on the Au surface. The morphology of CdS formed in the two cases and the corresponding photoelectrochemical behavior are compared and contrasted.