One-step sonochemical synthesis route towards kesterite Cu2ZnSnS4 nanoparticles

• Published in: Journal of alloys and compounds Vol. 630; pp. 23 - 28
• Main Authors: Liu, Yaocheng, Xu, Jian, Ni, Zhengkai, Fang, Gang, Tao, Weidong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 05.05.2015
• Subjects: Chemical synthesis; Crystal structure; Optical spectroscopy; Semiconductors; Optical spectroscopy; Semiconductors; Chemical synthesis; Crystal structure
• ISSN: 0925-8388; 1873-4669
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2015.01.033

•One-step sonochemical synthesis could be towards CZTS NPs at room temperature.•Sonication time and precursor concentrations affect crystal phases of NPs.•Kesterite CZTS nanocrystals with the average NP size ∼2nm. Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) has been considered as one of the most promising solar absorber in low-cost high-efficiency thin-film solar cells, which can be produced from CZTS nanoparticles (NPs) inks by non-vacuum fabrication techniques such as the roll-to-roll process. In this paper, one-step sonochemical synthesis towards the CZTS NPs at room temperature was studied. In the synthesis, the sonication time and the precursor’s concentration were two important factors to affect the crystal phases of the resulting NPs. Following analyses of X-ray diffraction, UV–Vis–NIR and Raman spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry, the kesterite CZTS nanocrystals with the average NP size ∼2nm and the band gap ∼1.52eV could be obtained with suitable precursor’s concentration and sonication time.