Cu2SnS3 Nanoparticles Research Articles

Synergistic role of Cu-C and Cu-N dual bonding of nanostructured g-C3N4/Cu2SnS3 photocatalysts for efficient CO2 conversion to CO

Herein, a 2D/0D g-C3N4/Cu2SnS3 heterostructure is successfully constructed via the facile calcination method, and its application to photocatalytic CO2 conversion is demonstrated for the first time. The fabricated g-C3N4/Cu2SnS3 nanocomposite is featured with its unique Cu-C and Cu-N dual chemical bond at the interface. The engineered g-C3N4/Cu2SnS3 nanocomposites record a superior CO production rate of 18.2 μmol∙g−1∙h−1 with an apparent quantum yield of 2.2% at 500 nm of light illumination, which is the highest among g-C3N4/ternary metal sulfide photocatalysts to the best of our knowledge. This notable improvement is attributed to the effective incorporation of Cu2SnS3 nanoparicles onto the surfaces of ultra-thin g-C3N4 and, the formation of Cu-N and Cu-C dual bonds at the interface. This helps not only the activation of interface defect-mediated Z-scheme conduction but also supplies highly reactive Cu sites in the Cu2SnS3 nanoparticles for efficient photocatalytic CO2 conversion.

A novel “signal-off” photoelectrochemical sensing platform for selective detection of rutin based on Cu2SnS3/TiO2 heterojunction

In this study, a novel and ultrasensitive photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensor was developed for highly selective detection of rutin with a “signal-off” pattern based on Cu2SnS3-modified TiO2 nanotube arrays (NTAs) under UV light irradiation. Herein, the highly ordered TiO2 nanotube arrays were grown on the surface of Ti foil using an anodization process, and then Cu2SnS3 nanoparticles (NPs) were deposited on TiO2 NTAs by electrodeposition method. It was found that the Cu2SnS3/TiO2 NTAs/Ti electrode exhibited a much-increased photocurrent response compared to the bare TiO2 NTAs/Ti electrode owing to the synergistic effect between Cu2SnS3 nanoparticles and TiO2 NTAs, which could accelerate the separation of electron-hole pairs. In the presence of rutin,the PEC response was reduced due to the steric hindrance effect caused by the interaction between Cu2SnS3 nanoparticles and rutin. Under optimum conditions, the fabricated PEC sensor indicated a widespread linear range of 0.001 nM–100 µM toward rutin with an extremely low detection limit (LOD) of 0.0007 nM. Moreover, the experimental results revealed that the proposed PEC sensor possessed good stability, favorable selectivity, outstanding repeatability, and reproducibility. Meanwhile, the proposed PEC sensor was successfully used to determine rutin content in real samples, and satisfactoryresults were obtained.

Influence of hydrothermal temperature on the structural, morphological, optical and photocatalytic properties of ternary Cu2SnS3 nanoparticles

Controllably synthesis of ternary Cu2SnS3 (CTS) nanoparticles using a simple and green hydrothermal method is presented in this study. The effect of synthesis temperature on the formation of CTS nanoparticles and its utilization as a catalyst for the degradation of Rhodamine B (Rh-B) dye was studied. The CTS nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and UV–Visible spectroscopy. The results showed that synthesized CTS nanoparticles have agglomerated morphology, with the energy band gap of 1.74 eV. Due to the lower band gap of CTS, the light absorption into the visible region extends and an even photoinduced carrier separates well so that it presented higher photocatalytic activity. With the exposure of visible light, the maximum degradation of Rh-B has been achieved.

Synthesis of Cu9S5, SnS2, and Cu2SnS3 Nanoparticles from Precursor Complexes and Their Photodegradation Activities on Methyl Orange

Synthesis of Cu9S5, SnS2, and Cu2SnS3 Nanoparticles from Precursor Complexes and Their Photodegradation Activities on Methyl Orange

Multifunctional Cu2SnS3 Nanoparticles with Enhanced Photocatalytic Dye Degradation and Antibacterial Activity.

We present a simplistic, ultrafast, and facile hydrothermal deposition of ternary Cu2SnS3 nanoparticles (CTS NPs). The fabricated CTS NPs show superior antimicrobial and photocatalytic activities. In the presence of UV-Visible illumination, methylene blue (MB) dye was studied for photocatalytic dye degradation activity of CTS NPs. Excellent efficiency is shown by incorporating CTS NPs to degrade MB dye. There is a ~95% decrease in the absorbance peak of the dye solution within 120 min. Similarly, CTS NPs tested against three bacterial strains, i.e., B. subtilis, S. aureus, P. vulgaris, and one fungal strain C. albicans, defining the lowest inhibitory concentration and zone of inhibition, revealed greater antimicrobial activity. Hence, it is concluded that the CTS NPs are photocatalytically and antimicrobially active and have potential in biomedicine.

Structural and optical characterizations of Cu2SnS3 nanoparticles and the electrochemical studies

Ternary Cu2SnS3 (CTS) nanostructures were prepared via a simple solvothermal method using copper(II) dithiocarbamate and organotin(IV) dithiocarbamate as precursor complexes, and oleic acid as the capping agent at 220 °C. The concentration of the copper complex was varied in order to investigate the effect of the change in the concentration of the complex on the structural, morphological and optical properties of CTS particles. The nanoparticles were characterized by optical and structural techniques. Pure phase monoclinic Cu2SnS3 nanoparticles were obtained at equimolar concentration of the precursor complexes and mixed phases of Cu2SnS3 and Cu4SnS4 as the concentration of the copper complex increased. The nanoparticles (NPs) showed agglomerated spherical morphology and band gap energies in the range 1.0–1.5 eV. The redox responses of the CTS NPs modified screen plate carbon electrode (SPCE) was studied and the electrochemical parameters revealed that they possessed good electro-catalytic properties, indicating the potential of the material for further study in sensor applications.

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.

Facile hydrothermal synthesis of Cu2SnS3 nanoparticles for photocatalytic dye degredation of mythelene blue

Abstract Ternary copper tin sulfide Cu2SnS3 (CTS) has been effectively amalgamated by hydrothermal method. The crystal structure, surface morphology and optical properties of the primed sample have been studied. XRD pattern of synthesized CTS shows the triclinic crystal structure. The SEM images confirm the uniform spherical grain like structure. The photocatalytic activity of the as synthesized CTS was tested under visible light irradiation by measuring the degradation of methylene blue (MB). CTS show a broad absorption in the visible and the IR region. The optical bandgap of CTS nanoparticles (2.2 eV) has been determined. A more realistic mechanism for the photocatalytic activity of CTS is proposed.

Solution-processed extremely thin films of Cu2SnS3 nanoparticles for planar heterojunction solar cells

Cu2SnS3 is a potential absorber material for thin film solar cells. However, Cu2SnS3 solar cells are normally prepared by high temperature sulfurization process. In this work, the Cu2SnS3 nanoparticle films with a porously structured surface are in situ prepared by a new and facile molecular precursor solution approach featuring a low annealing temperature (250 °C–350 °C) and a short annealing time (5 min); furthermore, the novel planar heterojunction solar cells configured as FTO/TiO2/CdS/Cu2SnS3/P3HT/MoO3/Ag are fabricated, in which poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT), an organic conjugated polymer, mainly acts as hole transporting material. It is found that the annealing temperature imposes a significant influence on the structure of Cu2SnS3 nanoparticle film. While increasing annealing temperature leads to a higher crystallinity of Cu2SnS3 nanoparticle film, the pores on the film surface become larger at annealing temperature >300 °C. It is also revealed that the solar cell performance depends on the annealing temperature and Cu2SnS3 film thickness, and the efficiency of 2.03% is obtained in the solar cells with 60 nm thick Cu2SnS3 thin film prepared at 300 °C. The results here demonstrate a low-temperature solution preparation strategy to prepare Cu2SnS3 thin films for solar cells and other optoelectronic devices.

Construction of 3D Electronic/Ionic Conduction Networks for All-Solid-State Lithium Batteries.

High and balanced electronic and ionic transportation networks with nanoscale distribution in solid-state cathodes are crucial to realize high-performance all-solid-state lithium batteries. Using Cu2 SnS3 as a model active material, such a kind of solid-state Cu2 SnS3 @graphene-Li7 P3 S11 nanocomposite cathodes are synthesized, where 5-10 nm Cu2 SnS3 nanoparticles homogenously anchor on the graphene nanosheets, while the Li7 P3 S11 electrolytes uniformly coat on the surface of Cu2 SnS3 @graphene composite forming nanoscaled electron/ion transportation networks. The large amount of nanoscaled triple-phase boundary in cathode ensures high power density due to high ionic/electronic conductions and long cycle life due to uniform and reduced volume change of nano-Cu2 SnS3. The Cu2 SnS3 @graphene-Li7 P3 S11 cathode layer with 2.0 mg cm-2 loading in all-solid-state lithium batteries demonstrates a high reversible discharge specific capacity of 813.2 mAh g-1 at 100 mA g-1 and retains 732.0 mAh g-1 after 60 cycles, corresponding to a high energy density of 410.4 Wh kg-1 based on the total mass of Cu2 SnS3 @graphene-Li7 P3 S11 composite based cathode. Moreover, it exhibits excellent rate capability and high-rate cycling stability, showing reversible capacity of 363.5 mAh g-1 at 500 mA g-1 after 200 cycles. The study provides a new insight into constructing both electronic and ionic conduction networks for all-solid-state lithium batteries.

A dual mode photoelectrochemical sensor for nitrobenzene and L-cysteine based on 3D flower-like Cu2SnS3@SnS2 double interfacial heterojunction photoelectrode

In this work, 3D hierarchical Cu2SnS3@SnS2 flower assembled from nanopetals with sandwich-like Cu2SnS3-SnS2-Cu2SnS3 double interfacial heterojunction was successfully designed and synthesized on fluoride doped tin oxide (FTO) for photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensor by in situ electrodeposition p-type Cu2SnS3 nanoparticles on both inner and outer surfaces of n-type SnS2 nanopetals. The unique double interfacial heterojunction simultaneously combines 3D flower-like architectures to drastically increase the light trapping and absorption in visible-near infrared range (Vis-NIR), and dramatically inhibites the charge carrier recombination, which is crucial for boosting the PEC activity. Benefitting from the shape and compositional merits, the Cu2SnS3@SnS2 heterojunction possess dual-mode signal by controlling the electrodeposition time to manipulate the composition ratio of Cu2SnS3 and SnS2. The Cu2SnS3@SnS2/FTO electrode not only exhibits excellent photoeletro-reduction capacity for ultra-sensitive sensing trace persistent organic pollutant (nitrobenzene, NB), but also presents photoeletro-oxidization activity for high selective detection of L-cysteine (L-Cys) without any auxiliary enzyme under the light illumination. Dual mode sensor displayed superb performance for the detection of NB/L-Cys, showing a wide linear range from 100 pM to 300 μM/10 nM to 100 μM and a low detection limit (3S/N) of 68 pM/8.5 nM, respectively. Such a tunable double interfacial heterojunction design opened up new avenue for constructing multifunction PEC sensing platform.

The effect of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) on thermochemical reaction of Cu2SnS3 nanoparticles: Shape and opto-crystalline structure

An attempt is made to resolve the controversy related to the difficulty in synthesizing the pure single crystalline phase of ternary Cu2SnS3 nanoparticles whereas the chemical bond and formation of crystalline structure and stoichiometry of nano-sized are strongly controlled by the surface of nano-sized particles. The related experimental results of X-ray diffraction, Raman active lattice mode, and UV–visible absorption were justified via solvothermal method resulted in the value of strain and the size of diameter. When the proper concentration of polyvinylpyrrolidone/ ethylene glycol (0.005gmL−1) as the capping agent was taken, the uniform size and shape of Cu2SnS3 nanoparticles with a sphere-like morphology were obtained. In the case of using copper chloride salt, the Cu2SnS3 nanoparticles with tetragonal phase and optical band gap energy of ~ 1.4 eV were obtained. Moreover, the Cu2SnS3 particles in the hexagonal phase were produced with the optical band gap of ~ 1.33 eV using copper acetate.

Structural and optical characterizations of Cu2SnS3 (CTS) nanoparticles synthesized by one-step green hydrothermal route

In this study, nanoparticles of Cu2SnS3 (CTS) have been synthesized by a simple one-step hydrothermal route without annealing. Metal chlorides and sodium sulphide precursors were dissolved in green solvent (water) and maintained at 230°C for 24h in a laboratory scale autoclave. Structural, morphological and optical characterization of synthesized CTS nanoparticles has been performed by Energy Dispersive Spectrometry (EDS), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Raman Spectroscopy, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and UV–vis-NIR Spectroscopy. The results appear to confirm the formation of pure and quasi-stoichiometric cubic CTS nanoparticles. No secondary phases have been detected. The average size of the synthesized nanoparticles is estimated to be about 30nm. From the absorption measurements, the optical band gap energy of the CTS nanoparticles was estimated to be 1.4eV. This is very close to the optimal value required for an absorber material in photovoltaic (PV) solar energy conversion. In order to improve the understanding of the formation mechanism of CTS nanoparticles, the precipitate recovered prior to the hydrothermal reaction was analysed by EDS and XRD. The obtained results suggest that the formation of CTS nanoparticles takes place in two stages. Firstly, it is initiated from the formation of precipitates of Cu2S, CuS and SnS binary compounds in the starting precursors solution prior to the hydrothermal reaction and thereafter it is completed under hydrothermal conditions. This study shows the feasibility of synthesizing CTS nanoparticles with abundant elements using an environmentally-friendly and low cost process.

Influence of solvents on solvothermal synthesis of Cu2SnS3 nanoparticles with enhanced optical, photoconductive and electrical properties

In this work, we report the synthesis of Cu2SnS3 nanoparticles by solvothermal route using different solvents. The effect of solvent on the structure, surface morphology, optical and electrical properties of Cu2SnS3 is investigated. The X-ray diffraction study reveals that the as-prepared Cu2SnS3 nanoparticles are tetragonal, monoclinic and cubic structures which are further confirmed by Raman spectral analysis. Surface morphology of the samples is examined by scanning electron microscopy. Absorption spectroscopy reveal the band gaps as ~1·60, 1·48 and 1·43 eV, the optimum range for solar energy absorption. Photoconductivity shows a photocurrent increase of ~30 and ~19% among the synthesised nanoparticles. The electrical properties of Cu2SnS3 nanoparticles such as carrier concentration, mobility and conductivity are very close to its thin film values.

Facile Synthesis of Different Morphologies of Cu2SnS3 for High-Performance Supercapacitors.

Cu2SnS3 is considered as an emerging potential candidate for electrode materials due to considerable interlayer spaces and tunnels in its crystal structures and excellent conducting ability. Ternary Cu2SnS3 as anode in lithium ion batteries has already been reported, but it is rarely mentioned to be applied in supercapacitors which is considered to be a complementary energy storage device for lithium ion batteries. It is an effective method to improve the electrochemical performance of materials by adjusting the morphology and microstructure of materials. In present study, ternary nanosheet-assembled Cu2SnS3 microspheres (M-CTS) and nanoparticles-like Cu2SnS3 (N-CTS) are synthesized via a facile solvothermal route. The results suggest that Cu2SnS3 microspheres (M-CTS) exhibit better capacitive performance compared with Cu2SnS3 (N-CTS) nanoparticles, which means that morphology does have a significant effect on the electrochemical reaction. M-CTS presents excellent supercapacitor performances with the high specific capacity of about 406 C g-1 at a current density of 1 A g-1 and achieves a high energy density of 85.6 W h kg-1 and power density of 720 W kg-1. The remarkable electrochemical performance of Cu2SnS3 can be attributed to the large specific surface area, smaller average pore size, and improved electrical conductivity. Our research indicates that it is very suitable for large-scale production and has enormous potential in the practical application of high-performance supercapacitors.

Novel antibacterial application of photovoltaic Cu2SnS3 (CTS) nanoparticles

In the present work, Cu2SnS3 (CTS) nanoparticles were synthesized using the hot injection method.

Preparation and characterization of sphere-like Cu2SnS3 nanoparticles and their dropcasted thin films

Ternary sphere-like Cu2SnS3(CTS) semiconductor and 2D hexagonal sheets were synthesized via a simple solvothermal method using PVP as the surface ligand at two temperatures of 180 and 220 °C. The structural, morphological, and chemical compositions as well as optical properties of as-synthesized CTS particles were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and UV–Vis spectroscopy. The size of sphere-like particles and the side length of hexagonal sheets were within the range of 120–140 nm and 500 nm–, respectively. FESEM, XRD, and EDS were analyzed to investigate the mechanism of the morphological evolution of CTS particles. CTS particles showed proliferation of Sn atomic ratio, which is strongly sensitive to reaction temperature and, highly affects the increase of band gap energy from 1.36 to 1.53 eV due to generation metal defects and formation SnS2. The optical analysis via the transmittance and reflectance reveals that the band-gap energy of dropcasted CTS thin films decreases after annealing due to grain growth and change of chemical compositions. Photo-responses of CTS nanocrystal thin films indicated a considerable increase in the conductivity of the films under light illumination. All these results showed the potential of these films for solar cell applications.

Controlled solvothermal synthesis and properties of Cu2SnS3 nanoparticles

Cu2SnS3 (CTS) nanocrystallites were successfully obtained through a facile solvothermal technique at 140 and 200 °C for 24 h. In this work, the effect of temperature on structural, morphological and optical characteristics was investigated. The X-ray diffraction patterns of the samples proved the polycrystalline nature and the formation of pure cubic Cu2SnS3 structure with (111) preferential orientation. No peak referring to other binary or ternary phases were detected in the patterns. We found that by increasing the temperature, the average crystallite sizes calculated using the Debye–Scherrer formula increased from 10 to 23 nm and the direct optical band gap increased from 1.30 to 1.44 eV. The Magnetic measurements at room temperature reveal paramagnetic behavior. In this study, Cu2SnS3 nanocrystals were prepared through an environmental-friendly facile solvothermal method. It was found that the crystal structure and morphology of the productions were strongly influenced by the reaction conditions including temperature. In our case, the temperature seems to affect the quality of the nanoparticles and may be the cause of the presence of such forms. At increasing more particles on the surface may agglomerate to form bigger grains.

Synthesis of Cu2ZnSnS4 thin film from mixed solution of Cu2SnS3 nanoparticles and Zn ions

The Cu2ZnSnS4 thin film was prepared by a facile solution method without vacuum environment and toxic substance. The formation mechanism of the film was studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and Raman scattering measurements. Through cyclic voltammetry and photo-electricity tests, the electrocatalytic activity of the prepared film as the counter electrode of dye-sensitized solar cell was also studied. The results show that the mixed precursor solution mainly consists of Cu2SnS3 nanoparticles and Zn ions. After 550 °C annealing process on the precursor film prepared from the mixed solution, Cu2ZnSnS4 thin film is obtained. Besides, it is found that the prepared Cu2ZnSnS4 thin film has the electrocatalytic activity toward the redox reaction of I3−/I− and the dye-sensitized solar cell with the prepared Cu2ZnSnS4 thin film as the counter electrode achieves the efficiency of 1.09%.

Amines free environmentally friendly rapid synthesis of Cu2SnS3 nanoparticles

Cubic and tetragonal structured Cu2SnS3 (CTS) nanoparticles are rapidly synthesized within a short reaction time of 5 min using low cost amine free octadecene (ODE) solvent by hot injection technique. The effects of precursor concentration, sulfur source and reaction time on the CTS nanoparticle synthesis are studied. The crystal structure, size, phase purity, atomic composition, oxidation state and optical properties of these nanoparticles are studied in detail by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and UV–visible spectroscopy techniques. Spherical shaped particles in the size range of 25–30 nm are obtained with atomic composition in close agreement with the stoichiometry of Cu2SnS3. The reaction mechanism of CTS nanoparticle formation is proposed. The synthesized cubic and tetragonal structured CTS nanoparticles exhibit optimal band gaps of 1.23 eV and 1.45 eV, respectively, suitable for use in photovoltaic applications.