Copper Tin Sulfide Research Articles

Optimizing Na2EDTA concentration for enhanced properties of SILAR - deposited CTS thin films

Abstract This study investigates the impact of varying Na2EDTA concentrations on the properties of copper tin sulfide (CTS) thin films deposited on soda lime glass substrates using the successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method. The aim is to optimize CTS thin film growth for photovoltaic technology applications. CTS thin films were prepared using SILAR with Na2EDTA concentrations of 0.01 M, 0.04 M, and 0.07 M, resulting in samples CTS01, CTS04, and CTS07. Characterization techniques included XRD, SEM, EDAX, FTIR, I-V curves, transmittance spectra, and Tauc plots. The results reveal significant variations in film properties with changing Na2EDTA concentration. XRD patterns indicate polycrystalline films with an orthorhombic CTS phase. SEM images show smooth, dense films with localized clusters. FTIR spectra detect hydrocarbon chains, aromatic rings, and hydroxyl or ether groups. The I-V curves of three samples (CTS01, CTS04, and CTS07) show a voltage-dependent transition from semiconducting to ohmic behavior. The CTS01 exhibits superior conductivity (3.13 × 10−5/Ωm), while the samples’ resistance and conductivity values show an inverse relationship. Transmittance curves display low UV transmittance and high visible transmittance,suggests that the samples are highly absorptive in the UV range and become more transparent in the visible range, indicating potential applications in optical filtering and photovoltaic devices. Tauc plots estimate band gap energies of 3.66, 3.89, and 3.23 eV, indicating high band gap energies suitable for buffer layers in solar cells. The correlation between band gap energy and crystallite size as a function of Na2EDTA concentration is also observed. The study demonstrates the importance of optimizing Na2EDTA concentration for achieving high-quality CTS thin films with desirable properties for photovoltaic applications. The findings highlight the potential of CTS thin films for solar cells, optical filtering, and photonic devices.

An Efficient p-n Heterojunction Copper Tin Sulfide/g-C3N4 Nanocomposite for Methyl Orange Photodegradation.

The discharge of toxic dye effluents from industry is a major concern for environmental pollution and toxicity. These toxic dyes can be efficiently removed from waste streams using a photocatalysis process involving visible light. Due to its simple synthesis procedure, inexpensive precursor, and robust stability, graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4, or CN) has been used as a visible light responsive catalyst for the degradation of dyes with mediocre performance because it is limited by its low visible light harvesting capability due to its wide bandgap and fast carrier recombination rate. To overcome these limitations and enhance the performance of g-C3N4, it was coupled with a narrow bandgap copper tin sulfide (CTS) semiconductor to form a p-n heterojunction. CTS and g-C3N4 were selected due to their good stability, low toxicity, ease of synthesis, layered sheet/plate-like morphology, and relatively abundant precursors. Accordingly, a series of copper tin sulfide/graphitic carbon nitride nanocomposites (CTS/g-C3N4) with varying CTS contents were successfully synthesized via a simple two-step process involving thermal pyrolysis and coprecipitation for visible-light-induced photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange (MO) dye. The photocatalytic activity results showed that the 50%(wt/wt) CTS/g-C3N4 composite displayed a remarkable degradation efficiency of 95.6% for MO dye under visible light illumination for 120 min, which is higher than that of either pristine CTS or g-C3N4. The improved performance is attributed to the extended light absorption range (due to the optimized bandgap), effective suppression of photoinduced electron-hole recombination, and improved charge transfer that arose from the formation of a p-n heterojunction, as evidenced by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), photocurrent, and photoluminescence results. Moreover, the results of the reusability study showed that the composite has excellent stability, indicating its potential for the degradation of MO and other toxic organic dyes from waste streams.

Numerical modelling and performance investigation of inorganic Copper-Tin-Sulfide (CTS) based perovskite solar cell with SCAPS-1D

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are a favorable option for the upcoming generation of photovoltaic systems due to their simplicity and high energy conversion efficiency. The third iteration of thin-film solar cells including copper-tin-sulphide (CTS) is easily accessible on Earth, possesses excellent optoelectrical properties, and does not include any harmful substances, making it environmentally sustainable. Using the solar cell capacitance simulator (SCAPS), this study examines the performance of a PSC based on copper oxide (Cu2O) and zinc selenide (ZnSe). The study investigates the factors that influence the performance of CTS-based SCs, such as absorber layer thickness, absorber defect density, interface defect densities, doping densities, and working temperature on the performance of the PSC. The results show that 30.37 % perovskite cell efficiency (PCE) increased from 20.94 % after optimization with 0.9403 V of open circuit voltage, 37.2682 mA/cm2 of short circuit current and 86.67 % of fill factor.

Synthesis and characterization of copper tin sulfide counter electrode for enhanced performance in third-generation solar cells

This paper presents the fabrication of a copper tin sulfide (CTS) counter electrode for application in third-generation solar cells. The fabrication process involved modified chemical bath deposition (M-CBD) or a successive ionic layer adsorption reaction (SILAR). Initially, a ZnO seed layer was deposited onto a fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate via CBD. Subsequently, a mesoporous layer of ZnO was deposited onto the FTO substrate using the doctor-blade method. The mesoporous ZnO layer was sensitized with CdS nanocrystals deposited using the SILAR method. Various characterization techniques, including UV–Vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), were employed to analyze the optical, structural, and morphological properties of the photoanode and CTS counter electrode. The results demonstrate the successful synthesis of a CTS counter electrode with desirable properties for solar-cell applications. The fabricated CTS counter electrode exhibited a conversion efficiency of 0.49%, which was significantly higher than that of carbon-based counter electrodes.

Electrodeposited Copper Tin Sulfide/Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanospikes for a High-Performance Supercapacitor Electrode.

Copper tin sulfide, Cu4SnS4 (CTS), a ternary transition-metal chalcogenide with unique properties, including superior electrical conductivity, distinct crystal structure, and high theoretical capacity, is a potential candidate for supercapacitor (SC) electrode materials. However, there are few studies reporting the application of Cu4SnS4 or its composites as electrode materials for SCs. The reported performance of the Cu4SnS4 electrode is insufficient regarding cycle stability, rate capability, and specific capacity; probably resulting from poor electrical conductivity, restacking, and agglomeration of the active material during continued charge-discharge cycles. Such limitations can be overcome by incorporating graphene as a support material and employing a binder-free, facile, electrodeposition technique. This work reports the fabrication of a copper tin sulfide-reduced graphene oxide/nickel foam composite electrode (CTS-rGO/NF) through stepwise, facile electrodeposition of rGO and CTS on a NF substrate. Electrochemical evaluations confirmed the enhanced supercapacitive performance of the CTS-rGO/NF electrode compared to that of CTS/NF. A remarkably improved specific capacitance of 820.83 F g-1 was achieved for the CTS-rGO/NF composite electrode at a current density of 5 mA cm-2, which is higher than that of CTS/NF (516.67 F g-1). The CTS-rGO/NF composite electrode also exhibited a high-rate capability of 73.1% for galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD) current densities, ranging from 5 to 12 mA cm-2, and improved cycling stability with over a 92% capacitance retention after 1000 continuous GCD cycles; demonstrating its excellent performance as an electrode material for energy storage applications, encompassing SCs. The enhanced performance of the CTS-rGO/NF electrode could be attributed to the synergetic effect of the enhanced conductivity and surface area introduced by the inclusion of rGO in the composite.

Cu2SnS3 based photovoltaic structure with improved open circuit voltage for air stable self-driven enhanced NIR photodetection

Copper tin sulfide (Cu2SnS3) is an environmentally benign and economical semiconductor comprising earth-abundant, non-toxic elements with flexible optoelectronic properties for photovoltaic energy conversion and photodetection. The optimization of sulfurization temperature resulted in significant improvement in structure, morphology, elemental composition, optical and electrical properties. A substantial advancement in photovoltaic performance was achieved by integrating a thin layer of SnS and the same enhancement theoretically predicted using SCAPS-1D simulation. Photovoltaic structure with optimized monoclinic Cu2SnS3 as an absorber layer and thin SnS layer (Glass/FTO/CdS/SnS/Cu2SnS3/Ag) resulted in photovoltaic parameters: Voc = 415 mV, Jsc = 17.2 mA.cm−2, and PCE = 2.12 %. We demonstrate the first self-powered SnS/Cu2SnS3 based photodetector which delivers high detectivity of 1.41 × 1011 Jones under the illumination of an 840 nm laser with rapid rise and decay time of 10.2 and 10.1 ms, respectively. Economic and environmentally benign Cu2SnS3 thin films based photovoltaic structures will be beneficial for harvesting sustainable energy and paving a strong platform for self-powered, air-stable, and spectral selective photodetection.

Anchoring SnS nanoflakes on CuCo2O4 acicular sprouts for overall water splitting

Employing a bifunctional electrocatalyst capable of simultaneously performing Hydrogen Evolution Reaction (HER) and Oxygen Evolution Reaction (OER) under the same conditions of temperature, pressure, and pH is beneficial for realizing compact and efficient electrolyzers. In the pursuit of cultivating the superior abilities of ternary transition metal oxides and sulphides in OER and HER, an Argyrophylla-like heterostructure electrode consisting of Copper Cobalt Oxide (CuCo2O4) and Tin Sulfide (SnS) have been fabricated through a facile two-pot hydrothermal method. The surface level morphology and electrochemical active sites of binder-free SnS/CuCo2O4/NF heterostructure bifunctional catalyst were modified to achieve lower overpotentials for both OER (315 mV @ 20 mA/cm2) and HER (98 mV @ 20 mA/cm2) in 1.0 M KOH electrolyte medium. The proclaimed efficiencies are attributed to the enhanced oxygen vacancies, interfacial bonds and surface sulfur sites in the heterostructure as evident from electrochemical and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies. Apart from that, the proposed heterostructure electrode attained a current density of 10 mA/cm2 with a very low cell voltage of 1.60 V when employed as a dual electrode in an electrolyser cell. The Sn–O bond at the interface of CuCo2O4 and SnS stabilizes the heterostructure that helped in maintaining the lower current degradation rate (CDR) in Chronoamperometry (CA) test.

Influence of buffer layer on copper doped tin sulfide solar cell: A Numerical approach

The proposed paper has examined the copper tin sulfide (CTS) semiconductor which is a ternary compound with extremely high absorption coefficient (105 cm−1) and ideal bandgap ranging from 0.9 to 1.6 eV. Non-toxic and widely available elements present on the earth constitute the elements of CTS. In this work, we have numerically simulated the structure: ITO coated polyethylene terephthalate (PET)/ZnO/(CdS, ZnS, CdZnS, TiO2)/CTS/Al using wx-AMPS software.In the structure different layers are: ITO coated PET which is a flexible substrate and acting as a front layer. It has been optimized by optimizing its layer thickness as 140 nm; ZnO as intrinsic layer; CdS/ZnS/CdZnS/TiO2 as buffer layers; CTS as absorber layer and Al as back contact. Different buffer layer variation was studied by varying its thickness and donor concentration. The QE curve shown in the result shows that at lower wavelength also, the QE value for CdZnS and TiO2 is high. Therefore, for furthermore investigation, these two buffer layers were considered. After optimizing the buffer layer, absorber layer optimization was carried out by varying its thickness, acceptor concentration and defect density values. By considering CdZnS as buffer layer, the optimized result which we got as, VOC = 0.819 V, JSC = 25.77 mA/cm2, FF = 85.59 %, η = 18.08 % and by considering TiO2 as buffer layer, the optimized result which we got as, VOC = 0.818 V, JSC = 25.55 mA/cm2, FF = 84.41 %, η = 17.66 %.

Reaction time influence on copper tin sulfide micro flowers for enhanced electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance

Herein, we report the effective way to optimize the copper tin sulfide (Cu2SnS3) micro flowers via a simple hydrothermal method using different reaction times, which could enhance the fabricated electrocatalyst in electrochemical water splitting applications. The prepared Cu2SnS3 was identified by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, which demonstrated the formation of triclinic phase Cu2SnS3 with a=0.664, b=1.151 and c=1.993 nm, respectively. Phase confirmation was further analyzed by using Raman and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, which also demonstrated pure tetragonal copper tin sulfide (CTS) phase. The morphology of the copper tin sulfide (CTS) materials was explored with the help of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies, which confirmed crystalline nature of triclinic copper tin sulfide (CTS) 3D hierarchical micro flowers. The prepared electrocatalyst was further characterized employing Energy-dispersive (EDX) and X-ray (XPS) spectroscopy. It exhibited chemical composition of Cu2p, Sn3d, and S2p in stoichiometric ratio with an atomic percentage of Cu, Sn, and S being 37.5, 40.7, and 21.7%, respectively. CTS-16 h exhibited 151 mV to afford 10 mA/cm2 and 139 mV/dec Tafel slope value, which was demonstrated by electrochemical characterizations. Moreover, the efficient electrocatalyst of CTS-16 h exhibited 131.5 cm2 electrochemical active surface area, while the other catalysts such as CTS-4 h, CTS-8 h and CTS-24 h were 49.25, 67.5, and 107.5 cm2 respectively. The CTS-16 h electrode shows excellent stability towards long-term CA test for one day with 94% retention. Therefore, the overall result suggests that the synthesized material provided a new approach for the noble metal catalysts substitute, and it is a potential material for clean energy systems.

Improvement experimental and numerical simulation of Cu2SnS3-based solar cells

This study presents the experimental and a solar performance of Cu2SnS3 copper-tin sulphide films (CTS). The CTS films were synthesised by a spray pyrolysis method as show the abstract figure and it was deposited on ordinary glass substrates via a very promising non-toxic solution spray pyrolysis process. Pulverisation times of 15, 30 and 45 min were used to study the effect of spraying time on the crystal structure and opto-electronic properties of Cu2SnS3 films. The morphology, composition and opto-electronic properties were investigated using X-ray diffractometer, Raman spectroscopy, EDS, SEM, UV–visible spectrophotometer and a four-point probe technique. In this work, a high quality of Cu2SnS3 films with tetragonal dominant phase and morphological homogeneity are obtained at 30 and 45 min of spraying solution with appropriate optoelectrical properties for solar PV applications. Based on the experimental optical response of the CTS-45min samples, we have carried out a numerical simulation of the photovoltaic solar cell using Cu2SnS3 as an absorbing layer. The simulated solar cell demonstrated a power conversion efficiency PCE of 20.34% with voltage open circuit Voc, short-circuit density Jsc and fill factor FF of 1.09 V, 24.60 mA/cm2 and 75.23%, respectively, corresponding to the SLG/Mo/Cu2SnS3/ZnS/ITO/Al solar cell configuration, with the ITO is the In-doped SnO2 material.

Thermal and electrical transport property study of direct vapour transport grown Cu2SnS3 single crystals

Copper tin sulphide (Cu2SnS3) (CTS) single crystals are grown by vapour transport technique of direct (DVT) type. The stoichiometric compositional analysis; Cu: 40.78 % (37.21 %), Sn: 31.09 % (34.35 %) and S: 28.13 % (28.15 %); showed the crystals to be slightly copper rich and tin deficient, bracket values are standard data. The X-ray diffraction showed the CTS to possess cubic unit structure having lattice parameter of 5.43 Å. The high resolution transmission electron microscopy substantiated the crystalline character. The thermal analysis are carried out by recording simultaneous thermogravimetric, differential thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis curves. These analysis are done in inert atmosphere for three heating rates of 10, 15 and 20 K⋅min−1 in the range from ambient to 1023 K. The thermocurves are analyzed by two standard methods of Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose (KAS) and Flynn-Wall-Ozawa (FWO). The thermodynamic parameters like activation energy, changes of entropy, enthalphy and Gibbs free energy are determined using KAS and FWO methods. These determined thermodynamic parameters of as-grown CTS single crystals matches each other stating the validity of the analysis. Temperature variation of electrical transport properties like dc electrical resistivity (ρ) and Seebeck coefficient (S) are measured in the temperature range of 323 K to 473 K. The values of ‘ρ’ decreases with temperature, stating semiconducting nature of crystals. The observed ‘S’ values are found to be positive in entire temperature range, stating crystals to be of p-type semiconducting nature.

Strong near infrared photoluminescence from Sn doped Cu2O

Photoluminescence (PL) is a direct embodiment of photoelectric characteristics of a material. In this work, tin (Sn) doped cuprous oxide (Cu2O) Cu2O:Sn was prepared through mixing copper oxide (CuO) and tin sulfide (SnS) and annealing in nitrogen. By optimizing the mole ratios of CuO to SnS and annealing temperature, a new and strong near infrared PL (842 nm) was observed at room temperature in the prepared polycrystalline Cu2O:Sn. The 842 nm luminescence can be ascribed to the transition of carriers from Sn impurity level to the valence band edge of Cu2O. The results indicate that Cu2O:Sn has good photoelectric properties and Sn doping of Cu2O is a promising approach to improve the performance of Cu2O photoelectric devices.

The atomic layer deposition (ALD) synthesis of copper-tin sulfide thin films using low-cost precursors

In this work we demonstrated the process of co-deposition of copper-tin sulfide species by the atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique using all-low-cost precursors. For the deposition of tin species, the tin(IV) chloride SnCl4 was used successfully for the first time in the ALD process. Moreover, we showed that the successful deposition of the tin sulfide component was conditioned by the pre-deposition of CuS x layer. The co-deposition of copper and tin sulfides components at 150 °C resulted in the in-process formation of the film containing Cu2SnS3, Cu3SnS4 and π-SnS phases. The process involving only tin precursor and H2S did not produce the SnS x species. The spectroscopic characteristic of the obtained materials were confronted with the literature survey, allowing us to discuss the methodology of the determination of ternary and quaternary sulfides purity by Raman spectroscopy. Moreover, the material characterisation with respect to the morphology (SEM), phase composition (XRD), surface chemical states (XPS), optical properties (UV–vis-NIR spectroscopy) and electric (Hall measurements) properties were provided. Finally, the obtained material was used for the formation of the p–n junction revealing the rectifying I–V characteristics.

The Influence of Concentration on the Formation of Chemical Bath Deposited Copper Tin Sulphide Thin Films: SEM and EDX Studies

Nanostructured copper tin sulphide films have been deposited on the substrate (soda lime glass) via an economical chemical bath deposition method. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) technique and energy dispersive X-ray analyzer (EDX) method were employed in this work to study the films’ morphology and composition. The EDX data and SEM images confirmed that the content of elements (sulfur, tin, and copper), the shape, and the grain size strongly depended on the concentration of the precursors during the formation of films. Experimental results revealed that a higher atomic percentage of the element could be observed for the films prepared using a higher concentration of solution during the experiment.

Photocatalytic water splitting on Cu2SnS3 photoelectrode: Effects of Cu/Sn composite ratio on the photoelectrochemical performance

Solar hydrogen production from water splitting has been regarded as one of the most promising energy alternatives to fossil fuel because of environmentally friendly nature and abundant water resources. Copper tin sulfide (Cu2SnS3, CTS), a non-toxic p-type semiconductor composed of abundant elements in the earth crust has been employed for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. The CTS photoelectrodes were prepared by the electrodeposition (ED) of Cu and Sn ions with different Coulomb charge, followed by heating at 560 °C in the presence of solid sulfur. The morphology and crystal structures of the CTS have been characterized by SEM-EDX, XRD, Raman spectroscopies and electrochemical measurement. The CTS photoelectrode with different Cu/Sn composition has a monoclinic structure, and it exhibits optical absorption from visible-light to infrared light having a bandgap of ca. 0.90 eV. The Pt-In2S3/CTS photoelectrode was demonstrated to generate H2 by the photocatalytic water splitting under solar light irradiation. Moreover, it was found that the PEC properties strongly depend on the Cu/Sn composite ratio of CTS, and the Sn-rich CTS exhibited the high PEC water splitting to produce H2.

Enhancement in structural and optical properties of copper tin sulphide (CTS) thin films via sulphurization process

In this letter, the effects of sulphurization time on the material properties of CTS thin film and concomitant device performance were investigated. A specified range of sulphurization time from 1 to 3 hours were carried out. Structural analyses confirmed that polycrystalline CTS were apparent in all samples prepared, with an intermediate secondary phase of Cu4Sn7S16 which then decomposes to Cu2SnS3 and Sn2S3 as the sulphurization duration reached 3 h. The relative intensity of pure phase CTS was also higher in samples subjected to 3 h sulphurization duration. The FWHM was found to decrease from about 0.15 to 0.11 as the sulphurization time was extended from 1 h to 3 h. Both structural and vibrational analysis confirms that monoclinic phase CTS with a preferential orientation in (−131) direction at the diffraction angle of 28.3° was evident in all samples produced. Furthermore, sulphurization time of 3 h resulted in CTS films with the desired direct optical bandgap of 0.9 eV and largest grains. However, the presence of considerable surface voids and substantial amount of Sn2S3 secondary phase were also detected in the sample. Nonetheless, CTS photovoltaic device fabricated using 3 h sulphurization duration recorded the highest efficiency of 0.96% with Voc = 147 mV, Jsc = 19.08 mA/cm2, and FF = 34.27%.

Influence of Substrate Temperature on Structural and Optical Properties of Co-Evaporated Cu<sub>2</sub>SnS<sub>3</sub>/ITO Thin Films

In this study report the structural and optical properties of Copper Tin Sulfide (Cu2SnS3) thin films on indium tin oxide (ITO) substrate using co-evaporation technique. High purity of copper, tin and sulfur were taken as source materials to deposit Cu2SnS3 (CTS) thin films at different substrate temperatures (200-350 °C). Further, the effect of different substrate temperature on the crystallographic, morphological and optical properties of CTS thin films was investigated. The deposited CTS thin films shows tetragonal phase with preferential orientation along (112) plane confirmed by X-ray diffraction. Micro-Raman studies reveled the formation of CTS thin films. The surface morphology, average grain size and rms values of the deposited films are examined by Scanning electron spectroscopy (SEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). The Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) shows the presence of copper, tin and sulfur with a nearly stoichiometric ratio. The optical band gap (1.76-1.63 eV) and absorption coefficient (~105 cm-1) of the films was calculated by using UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy. The values of refractive index, extinction coefficient and permittivity of the deposited films were calculated from the optical transmittance data.

A Comparative Study of the Effect of Graphene Oxide, Graphitic Carbon Nitride, and Their Composite on the Photocatalytic Activity of Cu3SnS4

Photocatalysis has shown high potential in dealing with the ever-broadening problem of wastewater treatment, escalated by the increasing level of recalcitrant chemicals often referred to as emerging contaminants. In this study, the effect of support material on the photocatalytic activity of copper tin sulfide (Cu3SnS4) nanoparticles for the degradation of tetracycline as an emerging contaminant is presented. Graphene oxide, protonated graphitic carbon nitride, and a composite of graphitic carbon nitride and graphene oxide were explored as support materials for Cu3SnS4 nanoparticles. The nanoparticles were incorporated with the different carbonaceous substrates to afford graphene-supported Cu3SnS4 (GO-CTS), protonated graphitic carbon nitride-supported Cu3SnS4 (PCN-CTS), and graphene oxide/protonated graphitic carbon nitride-supported Cu3SnS4 (GO/PCN-CTS). Physicochemical, structural, and optical properties of the prepared nanocomposites were characterized using techniques such as Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-Vis near infrared, and fluorescence spectrophotometry. The compositing of the Cu3SnS4 nanoparticles on the support materials was confirmed by the characterization techniques, and the optical properties of the composites were found to be influenced by the nature of the support material. The incorporation of CTS into the support materials resulted in a reduction in band gap energy with evaluated band gaps of 1.65, 1.46, 1.43 eV, and 1.16 eV. The reduction in band gap energy suggests the potential of the composites for enhanced photocatalytic activity. From the photocatalytic study, the degradation efficiency of tetracycline by CTS, PCN-CTS, GO-CTS, and PC/GO-CTS was 74.1, 85.2, 90.9, and 96.5%, respectively. All the composites showed enhanced activity compared to pristine CTS, and the existence of a synergy between GO and PCN when both were employed as support materials was observed. Based on the charge carrier recombination characteristics and the band edge potential calculations from the composites, a possible mechanism of action of each composite was proposed. This study therefore confirms the possibility of modulating the mechanism of action and subsequently the efficiency of semiconductor materials by altering the nature of the support material.

Silicate as a Versatile Matrix for the Aqueous Synthesis of Metal Sulfide Nanoparticles

AbstractThe addition of metals to the oligomeric sodium metasilicate in water results in insoluble metal silicate complexes that form nanoparticles, in which further chemical reactions can be carried out. Copper sulfide, copper tin sulfide, tin sulfide, bismuth sulfide and zinc sulfide doped with manganese nanoparticles were synthesized using this method. The silicate matrix resulted in a narrow particle size distribution and imparted long‐term stability to the nanoparticle suspensions. The reactions were monitored via UV‐Vis‐NIR spectroscopy, and the nanoparticles were characterized by AFM, powder X‐ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy. The described method is expected to become a general and versatile approach for aqueous synthesis of multimetallic, doped chalcogenide and other complex nanoparticles without the need of complicated chemical precursors, stabilizing agents, and multiple steps.

Selective syntheses of kuramite (Cu2SnS3) and petrukite (Cu3SnS4) phases of copper tin sulphide, and their electrochemical and photocatalytic properties

Semiconductor materials of the type Cu–Sn–S (CTS) have recently been the focus of intense research due to their unique optical and thermoelectric properties. Their properties are also tunable by varying reaction parameters such as precursor concentration, solvent chemistry and reaction temperature. In this study, two phases of CTS: Cu2SnS3 and Cu3SnS4, were synthesized by the co-thermolysis of two dithiocarbamate complexes through the tuning of reaction temperature and solvent type. Cu2SnS3 nanoparticles with average crystalline size of 13.1 nm and band gap energy of 1.16 eV were synthesized in oleylamine at 220 ̊C, while Cu3SnS4 nanoparticles with average size of 12.3 nm and band gap energy of 1.57 eV was obtained in a mixture of oleylamine and dodecanthiol at 180 ̊C. The electrochemical and photocatalytic properties of the two CTS phases were further studied, with the Cu2SnS3 phase showing better properties compared to the Cu3SnS4 phase. The ability to achieve phase selectivity in synthesizing CTS with different crystal structures and band gap energies in a facile solvothermal process could be valuable in developing semiconductor materials with unique properties.