Microreactor assisted soft lithography of nanostructured antimony sulfide thin film patterns: nucleation, growth and application in solid state batteries†

This study explores the microreactor-assisted soft lithography (MASL) method for direct, one-step synthesis and patterning of additive-free antimony sulfide (Sb₂S₃) nanostructured thin films. The results reveal the steady state process and its ability to overcome the challenges and limitations of conventional solution deposition processes. This new approach, exploiting continuous flow, prevents the dissolution of the growing film, a common issue in batch solution deposition methods. Furthermore, this study successfully fabricates functional Sb₂S₃–Li coin cell prototypes, demonstrating stable specific capacities of 600 mA h g⁻¹ for over 260 cycles at a C/2 charge rate and coulombic efficiencies of 96–98%.