CZTSe Nanoparticles Research Articles

One-Step Synthesis of Stoichiometric Cu2ZnSnSe4 as Counter Electrode for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Cu(2)ZnSnSe(4) (CZTSe) nanoparticles with diameters of 200-300 nm were synthesized by one-step solvothermal method without surfactants or templates. The structure, composition and morphology of CZTSe nanoparticles were characterized by XRD, XPS, Raman spectrum, EDS, FESEM and TEM. The results indicated that the nanoparticles were single phase and nearly stoichiometric composition. CZTSe nanoparticles drop-casted onto FTO substrate were used as counter electrode (CE) in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) for the first time, which exhibited Pt-like electrocatalytic activity for the reduction of I(3)(-) to I(-) in DSSCs. The J-V results demonstrated that the thickness of the film affected the photocurrent density and fill factor remarkably, which resulted from the difference of electrocatalytic sites and resistance with different thickness films. And a best efficiency of 3.85% was obtained by adjusting the film thickness. The work presents a new approach for developing low-cost, facile fabrication CZTSe nanoparticles, and demonstrates CZTSe can be explored as a low-cost alternative for expensive and scare Pt in DSSCs.

Synthesis of Quaternary Chalcogenide Nanocrystals: Stannite Cu2ZnxSnySe1+x+2y

A successful synthesis of Cu(2)Zn(x)Sn(y)Se(1+x+2y) (CZTSe) nanoparticles is presented. Nearly monodisperse and highly faceted CZTSe nanoparticles were prepared through reaction of metal amino complexes with saturated solutions of selenium in trioctylphosphine at high temperature. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis showed the prepared nanocrystals to have the tetragonal Cu(2)ZnSnSe(4) crystallographic structure. Nanoscale-resolved electron energy loss spectroscopy images showed the presence of the four elements in each individual nanocrystal. Further analyses of the particles' chemical composition showed the nanocrystals to be consistently Zn- and Sn-poor.