A facile and low cost synthesis of earth abundant element Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) nanocrystals: Effect of Cu concentrations

• Published in: Journal of alloys and compounds Vol. 541; pp. 192 - 197
• Main Authors: Shin, Seung Wook, Han, Jun Hee, Park, Chan Yeong, Kim, Sae-Rok, Park, Yeon Chan, Agawane, G.L., Moholkar, A.V., Yun, Jae Ho, Jeong, Chae Hwan, Lee, Jeong Yong, Kim, Jin Hyeok
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier B.V 15.11.2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: Alloys; Chemical synthesis methods; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Copper; COPPER SULFIDE; COSTS; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; CRYSTAL STRUCTURE; Cu concentration; Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) absorber material; CZT; Exact sciences and technology; Facile and low cost microwave assisted process; Inductively coupled plasma; Materials science; Methods of nanofabrication; Nanocrystal (NCs); Nanocrystalline materials; Nanocrystals; Nanocrystals and nanoparticles; Nanoscale materials and structures: fabrication and characterization; Optical properties and condensed-matter spectroscopy and other interactions of matter with particles and radiation; Optical properties of low-dimensional, mesoscopic, and nanoscale materials and structures; Physics; Precursors; Tin; X RAYS; Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) absorber material; Facile and low cost microwave assisted process; Cu concentration; Nanocrystal (NCs); ZnSnS; Microwave radiation; XRD; Fabrication property relation; Absorption coefficients; Energy gap; Cu; Transmission electron microscopy; Sulfidation; Powder technology; Copper Tin Zinc Sulfides Mixed; (CZTS) absorber material; Nanocrystal; Nanomaterial synthesis; X-ray photoelectron spectra
• ISSN: 0925-8388; 1873-4669
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2012.06.086

► Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) nanocrystals (NCs) were prepared by sulfurization of microwave assisted precursor without toxic chemicals. ► Effect of Cu concentration on the properties of CZTS NCs was investigated using various analysis methods. ► The properties of CZTS NCs was strongly related to the Cu concentrations. Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) nanocrystals (NCs) were synthesized by sulfurization of microwave assisted precursor powders without toxic chemicals. The effects of different Cu concentration from 0.01 to 0.025M on the structural, morphological, compositional, chemical and optical properties of CZTS NCs were investigated. X-ray diffraction patterns, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy results showed that the precursor powder contains several broad peaks that could not be assigned to CZTS, ZnS, Cu2-xS, Sn2S3 and Cu2SnS3. However, the sulfurized NCs showed both kesterite CZTS and Cu- and Sn-based secondary phases except for that formed at Cu concentration of 0.02M. Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) results showed that the presence of Cu in the sulfurized CZTS NCs increased with increasing Cu concentration from 16.57 to 32.94at.% while Zn and Sn in the sulfurized CZTS NCs decreased with increasing Cu concentration. UV–Vis spectroscopy results showed that the absorption coefficient of the sulfurized NCs was over 104cm−1 in the visible region and band gap energy of the sulfurized CZTS NCs decreased from 1.65 to 1.28eV with increasing Cu concentration.