Advances, optical and electronic applications of functional materials based on rare earth sulfide semiconductors

Rare earth sulfides are a promising group of semiconductor materials with intricate crystal structures and unique electronic configurations, which can be applied in the fields of energy storage, environmental protection and inorganic pigments. In recent years, with the development of modulation tools, rare earth sulfides have gained attention in more fields, such as thermoelectric materials, magnetic materials and electrochemical detection. We need to better understand rare earth sulfides before we can develop practical functional materials. In this article, we present the basic crystal structures of rare earth sulfides with recent research progress in preparation methods and microstructure modulation. Combined with the work of our group, this article focuses on the breakthroughs of rare earth sulfides in applications such as inorganic pigments, energy materials and photocatalysis. Even more, we discuss the intrinsic link between structures and properties and the design strategies to enhance the optical, electronic and catalytic properties of rare earth sulfides. Finally, we summarize the challenges and future directions in the research of rare earth sulfides.