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Optimized hot injection and HCl purification for high quality Cu2ZnSnS4 nanoparticles
,
Giorgio Tseberlidis ,
Vanira Trifiletti ,
Elisa Fabbretti ,
Silvia Mostoni ,
James McGettrick ,
Trystan Watson ,
Riccardo Po ,
Simona Binetti
Nanoscale Advances, Volume: 7, Issue: 1, Pages: 250 - 260
Swansea University Authors:
James McGettrick , Trystan Watson
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DOI (Published version): 10.1039/d4na00843j
Abstract
Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) is a narrow band gap, non-toxic, and environmentally friendly semiconductor with important properties for photovoltaic and electro-/photo-catalytic applications. In this study, we report on the synthesis of CZTS nanoparticles (NPs) by a simple and promising hot-injection technique u...
| Published in: | Nanoscale Advances |
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| ISSN: | 2516-0230 |
| Published: |
Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
2025
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| Online Access: |
Check full text
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| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa68451 |
| Abstract: |
Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) is a narrow band gap, non-toxic, and environmentally friendly semiconductor with important properties for photovoltaic and electro-/photo-catalytic applications. In this study, we report on the synthesis of CZTS nanoparticles (NPs) by a simple and promising hot-injection technique using environmentally friendly, earth-abundant, and low-cost copper and zinc acetates in combination with tin chloride and elemental sulphur. Oleylamine was used as solvent and capping agent. The influence of injection temperatures on the crystalline size, morphology and crystal structure were studied. The formation of detrimental phases has been investigated, as well as their removal by using an HCl treatment during the purification step of the CZTS NPs synthesis process. Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses were used to investigate the formation mechanism of the CZTS NPs. The experimental results showed that the injection temperature influences the NPs growth. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and infrared spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR) analyses were used to confirm the removal of both organic traces and detrimental phases. It was found that HCl treatment plays a key role in the successful removal of impurities without altering the final crystalline composition profile or NPs surface. |
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| College: |
Faculty of Science and Engineering |
| Funders: |
AHH acknowledges a PhD scholarship on Green Issues from action IV.5 of the PON Research and Innovation 2014–2020 “Education and research for recovery – REACT-EU” program. This work has been also partially supported by the research project [CANVAS-Nuovi Concetti, materiali e tecnologie per l'integrazione del fotovoltaico negli edifici in uno scenario di generazione diffusa], funded by the Italian Ministry of the Environment and the Energy Security, through the Research Fund for the Italian Electrical System [type-A call, published on GURI no. 192 on 18-08-507 2022]. EF, JMcG & TW acknowledge the VIPERLAB project funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement no. 101006715. |
| Issue: |
1 |
| Start Page: |
250 |
| End Page: |
260 |