Issue 27, 2014

Rapid facile synthesis of Cu2ZnSnS4 nanocrystals

Abstract

Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) nanocrystals were synthesized via thermolysis of single-source cation and sulfur precursors copper, zinc and tin diethyldithiocarbamates. The average nanocrystal size could be tuned between 2 nm and 40 nm, by varying the synthesis temperature between 150 °C and 340 °C. The synthesis is rapid and is completed in less than 10 minutes. Characterization by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy confirm that the nanocrystals are nominally stoichiometric kesterite CZTS. The ∼2 nm nanocrystals synthesized at 150 °C exhibit quantum confinement, with a band gap of 1.67 eV. Larger nanocrystals have the expected bulk CZTS band gap of 1.5 eV. Several micron thick films deposited by drop casting colloidal dispersions of ∼40 nm CZTS nanocrystals were crack-free, while those cast using 5 nm nanocrystals had micron-scale cracks.

Graphical abstract: Rapid facile synthesis of Cu2ZnSnS4 nanocrystals

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
05 Apu 2014
Accepted
02 Maa 2014
First published
02 Maa 2014

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2014,2, 10389-10395

Author version available

Rapid facile synthesis of Cu2ZnSnS4 nanocrystals

B. D. Chernomordik, A. E. Béland, N. D. Trejo, A. A. Gunawan, D. D. Deng, K. A. Mkhoyan and E. S. Aydil, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2014, 2, 10389 DOI: 10.1039/C4TA01658K

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