ZnS Layer Research Articles

Ultrasound-induced rapid electron movement on ZnO/MoS2 heterojunction for high performance tumor therapy

Conventional methods for treating tumors not only have limited therapeutic efficacy but also cause harm to patients, so there is an urgent need to develop a new therapeutic approach. Sonodynamic therapy (SDT), with its strong tissue penetration and few side effects, is considered to be an effective means of treating tumors. However, the reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by a single piezoelectric material is often limited and does not achieve a complete tumor cure. In this paper, a ZnO/MoS2 heterojunction is synthesized by hydrothermal immobilization of MoS2 on ZnO to enhance the effect of SDT. Meanwhile, due to the electron exchange between ZnO and MoS2, a layer of ZnS is formed between ZnO and MoS2. Under ultrasound (US) irradiation, the ZnO/MoS2 heterojunction can effectively eliminate breast cancer cells within 10 min. This is mainly due to the better piezoelectric catalytic ability of ZnO/MoS2 than pure ZnO. Electrochemical and Uv–vis tests show that the formation of heterojunction accelerates the separation of electrons and holes and inhibits carrier complexation, so that more oxygen substrates will react with electron-hole pairs to generate ROS. This work provides a novel idea to take the treatment of tumors by enhancing piezoelectric catalysis through the construction of heterojunction interfaces.

Optimization of CTS thin film solar cell: A numerical investigation based on USP deposited thin films

CTS (Cu2SnS3) can be used in the next generation of thin-film solar cells due to its non-toxicity, affordability, and natural availability. CTS has a direct bandgap, high absorption coefficient, making it an attractive and environmentally friendly choice for fabrication of solar cells. Ultrasonic spray pyrolysis is used to deposit CTS (absorber layer) and ZnS (buffer layer) films and they are characterized by XRD, SEM and UV–Vis spectroscopy. Based on experimental results, numerical simulation has been performed using SCAPS 1D. FTO/CTS/ZnS/Ag is the structure of device, where Ag act as an electrode. In this paper, a study is carried out to investigate the effects of thickness, doping concentrations in CTS and ZnS layer, working temperatures, bandgap variations, and defect densities on these solar cells. At the temperature of 300K, the proposed cell exhibits a power conversion efficiency of 8.25 %, open circuit voltage 0.4252V, short circuit current 24.82 mA/cm2, FF 78.18 % respectively.

Controllable medium layer of ZnS or CdS nanostructures as cocatalyst onto CuO-ZnO heterojunction for enhancing photocatalytic activity

This study explores the construction and performance of CuO-ZnS-ZnO and CuO-CdS-ZnO heterojunction structures on Cu gauze substrates. The assembly process involves three stages: growing CuO nanowires via direct heating, decorating them with ZnS or CdS nanostructures, and growing ZnO nanowires using wet chemical methods. Characterization with FESEM, XRD, FETEM, EDS, and XPS verified the successful preparation of the CuO-CdS-ZnO heterostructures. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by examining the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) solution under UVC light exposure. CuO-CdS-ZnO heterostructures with a 5 mM CdS precursor concentration showed superior photocatalytic efficiency compared to CuO-ZnS-ZnO heterostructures. Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy indicated more efficient charge separation in CuO-CdS-ZnO, enhancing photocatalytic activity. Experiments with radical scavengers highlighted that hydroxyl and superoxide radicals are the primary reactive species responsible for the degradation of RhB solution. A proposed mechanism highlights the improved electron and hole migration in CuO-CdS-ZnO heterostructures, contributing to their superior performance. Stability tests showed consistent efficiency over multiple cycles, confirming the durability and reusability of these heterostructures. Additionally, CuO-CdS-ZnO heterostructures demonstrated excellent photocatalytic performance under solar light, outperforming CuO-ZnS-ZnO heterostructures. This study underscores the potential of CuO-CdS-ZnO heterostructures for effective and sustainable photocatalytic applications.

Enhancement of Cd‐Free All‐Dry‐Processed Cu(In1‐x,Gax)Se2 Thin‐Film Solar Cells by Simultaneous Adoption of an Enlarged Bandgap Absorber and Tunable Bandgap Zn1‐xMgxO Buffer

Attempts to remove environmentally harmful materials in mass production industries are always a major issue and draw attention if the substitution guarantees a chance to lower fabrication cost and to improve device performance, as in a wide bandgap Zn1‐xMgxO (ZMO) to replace the CdS buffer in Cu(In1‐x,Gax)Se2 (CIGSe) thin‐film solar cell structure. ZMO is one of the candidates for the buffer material in CIGSe thin‐film solar cells with a wide and controllable bandgap depending on the Mg content, which can be helpful in attaining a suitable conduction band offset. Hence, compared to the fixed and limited bandgap of a CdS buffer, a ZMO buffer may provide advantages in Voc and Jsc based on its controllable and wide bandgap, even with a relatively wider bandgap CIGSe thin‐film solar cell. In addition, to solve problems with the defect sites at the ZMO/CIGSe junction interface, a few‐nanometer ZnS layer is employed for heterojunction interface passivation, forming a ZMO/ZnS buffer structure by atomic layer deposition (ALD). Finally, a Cd‐free all‐dry‐processed CIGSe solar cell with a wider bandgap (1.25 eV) and ALD‐grown buffer structure exhibited the best power conversion efficiency of 19.1%, which exhibited a higher performance than the CdS counterpart.

Microwave synthesis of composite of AgInS2 quantum dots and zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 for application in white light emitting diodes

Preparation of AgInS2 quantum dots (AIS QDs) with high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) and thermal stability remains an important challenge. In this paper, AIS QDs were successfully introduced into zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) by microwave-assisted hydrothermal method. Due to the effective isolation of the ZIF-8, the AIS QDs avoid the concentration quenching when they were assembled into white light emitting diodes (WLEDs) devices as color conversion materials. More importantly, the generation of ZnS layer between the interfaces of AIS QDs and ZIF-8 can efficiently improve the optical performance of AIS QDs, resulting in the fluorescence lifetime extended to 470.05 ns. Meanwhile, the PLQY of AIS/ZIF-8 composite reached up 34.30 % when microwave hydrothermal heating at 120 °C for 60 min with AgIn/Zn=1/3, which was higher than that of the pristine AIS QDs as 25.30 %. Finally, the WLED devices were fabricated by combining AIS/ZIF-8 composite fluorescent powder with (Ba, Sr)Si2O2N2:Eu2+ phosphors and blue LED. At 20 mA, the AIS/ZIF-8 based WLED shows the luminous efficiency (LE) of 44.54 lm/W, correlated color temperature (CCT) of 4242 K and color rendering index (CRI) of 89.1. Moreover, the Commission International de L'Eclairage (CIE) was (0.36, 0.35), indicating the WLED emited warm white light. The present strategy aims at enhancing the optical performance of AIS QDs, which also may trigger the development of QDs-based WLED.

Direct Z-scheme ZnS/HfS2 heterojunction for photocatalytic overall water splitting with high carrier mobility

The electronic and photocatalytic properties of a type-II ZnS/HfS2 heterojunction are comprehensively analyzed through first-principles calculations in this paper. By calculating the binding energy and phonon spectrum of five potential stacking patterns, the stable structure of the ZnS/HfS2 heterojunction is determined. The electronic structure calculations indicate that the heterojunction has a type-II alignment with a 1.26 eV band gap. The heterojunction exhibits high carrier mobilities (4387.36 and 9561.39 cm2V–1S−1 for X and Y directions). The photocatalytic water splitting process of the heterojunction can be explained by the direct Z-scheme mechanism. The built-in electric field enables rapid recombination of electron-hole pairs at CBM and VBM, while the hydrogen evolution reaction and oxygen evolution reaction can separately be achieved at the ZnS layer and HfS2 layer to complete the overall water splitting. The free energy analysis indicates that the ZnS/HfS2 heterojunction has high activity for overall water splitting under illumination. Moreover, the calculated solar-to-hydrogen efficiency of the heterojunction reaches 30%, ensuring its photocatalytic performance. Remarkably, the type-II alignment is maintained and the catalytic performance can be further improved under biaxial strain because of the enhanced optical absorption in visible light and the reduced band gap. This work reveals that ZnS/HfS2 heterojunction is a potentially novel photocatalytic material for efficient overall water splitting.

Realizing efficient near-infrared emission in Cu-In-S/ZnS quantum dots: Aqueous synthesis, optical properties and applications

Ternary I-III-VI quantum dots (QDs) are promising substitutions to Pb and Cd chalcogenide QDs in various applications such as LED, biodetection and sensing. It is urgent to explore near-infrared (NIR) emitting QDs with the advantages of low-cost synthesis and nontoxicity. Herein, water-soluble NIR Cu-In-S/ZnS (CIS/ZnS) QDs were obtained utilizing thioglycolic acid (TGA) and polyethyleneimine (PEI) as the stabilizing molecules in a commercial pressure cooker. Moreover, we detailedly investigated the influence factors on the PL property of CIS QDs and CIS/ZnS QDs including species of sulfur source, reaction time, pH, the dosage of TGA, PEI, Na2S, number of ZnS coating layers and the molar ratio of Cu/In. These QDs with adjusting Cu/In ratios show the emission maximum in the range of 710–750 nm. The maximum PL quantum yield (PLQY) of 20 % was acquired for CIS/ZnS QDs with a Cu/In ratio was 0.33/1 and three ZnS layer coating. Finally, we fabricated a NIR pc-LED lamp by using blue LED chips and CIS/ZnS QDs. The device shows a broadband NIR emission centered at 770 nm, which can be applied in night-vision system.

Surface plasmon resonance‐based fiber optic sensor utilizing tin oxide and zinc sulfide: An experimental analysis

Surface plasmon resonance‐based fiber optic sensors with Ag‐SnO2 and Ag‐ZnS bi‐layers are proposed experimentally and compared in detail in terms of sensitivity. Effect of SnO2 and ZnS layer thicknesses on the sensitivity is examined. Largest sensitivities are achieved by sensors with 40 nm Ag‐10 nm SnO2 layers and 40 nm Ag‐10 nm ZnS layers. Sensor with 40 nm Ag‐10 nm SnO2 layers is found to demonstrate better sensitivity than that with 40 nm Ag‐10 nm ZnS layers.

Comparative study by simulation betweentwo structures CdS/CZTS and ZnS/CZTS via SCAPS-1D software

This comparative numerical simulation study investigates the electrical characteristics of two heterojunction thin-film solar cells based on Kësterites Copper Zinc Tin Sulfide. The study compared two solar cells with different structures, Zinc Oxide ZnO/Cadmium Sulfide CdS/Kësterites CZTS/Molybdenum Mo and Zinc Oxide ZnO/Zinc Sulfide ZnS/Kësterites CZTS/Molybdenum Mo, to determine which is more efficient in achieving maximum photovoltaic efficiency. The results showed that the ZnO/ZnS/CZTS/Mo solar cell is the better option, outperforming the CdS/CZTS/Mo solar cell in terms of short-circuit current density Jsc, open-circuit voltage Voc, form factor FF, and photovoltaic efficiency η. The study also investigated the effect of doping and layer thickness of CZTS and ZnS on photovoltaic parameters. The optimized ZnS/CZTS solar cell achieved an efficiency of 16.29% for ZnS and CZTS layer thicknesses of 0.02µm and 4μm, respectively, and doping concentrations of 1018 and 1016cm-3 , respectively. Overall, this study provides valuable insights for designing more efficient solar cells and optimizing their photovoltaic efficiency using Kësterites CZTS, CdS, and ZnS materials.

Ultrathin Zincophilic Interphase Regulated Electric Double Layer Enabling Highly Stable Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries

HighlightsElectric double-layer regulation enabled by an ultrathin multifunctional solid electrolyte interphase layer with zincophilicity and rapid transport kinetics.Lowered potential drop over the Helmholtz layer and suppressed diffuse layer.Inhibited side reactions and uniform zinc deposition.

Effect of bath temperature on the efficiency and properties of Cu2O/ZnS/ZnO heterojunctions thin film prepared by electrodeposition and chemical bath deposition methods

A novel p-n type Cu2O/ZnS/ZnO heterojunction thin film was successfully fabricated by a combination of electrodeposition and chemical bath deposition techniques. The effect of bath temperature (T = 75, 80, 85, 90 °C) on the growth of ZnS layers was investigated. The influence of ZnS buffer layers on the properties and efficiency of the prepared heterojunction thin films were examined using XRD, FE-SEM, AFM, EDS, UV–Vis, and electrochemical measurements. The analysis of prepared films revealed that the Cu2O/ZnS/ZnO heterojunction exhibits a unique combination of hexagonal structure of ZnO and the cubic structure of Cu2O. It was found that all the heterojunction films exhibit the growth of composed pyramids and corner grains with a homogenous distribution. The optical band-gap of the deposited ZnS buffer layers decreased from 3.46 eV to 3.35 eV with an increase of bath temperature from 75 °C to 90 °C. Moreover, the obtained results revealed that the thicknesses and the surface roughness of ZnS buffer layers increased when bath temperature increased. Mott-Schottky results of the heterojunctions indicate a p-type semiconductor behavior for the Cu2O, while it was observed an n-type semiconductor behavior for the ZnO and ZnS layers. As a result, the photocurrent response of Cu2O/ZnO heterojunctions with ZnS layer insertion was enhanced from 0.175 to 0.730 mA, which can be attributed to the reduced electron transfer resistance, enlarged photo-generated (e−/h+) carrier separation efficiency, and enhanced light absorption due to the presence of ZnS buffer layers. These results highlight the advantages of the bath temperature on the deposition of ZnS for photoelectrochemical and solar cells applications.

Growth of Medium-Sized InP Quantum Dots with High Photoluminescence Efficiency and Enhanced Stability

This study introduces medium-sized core/shell InP quantum dots (QDs) with high photoluminescence (PL) efficiency and remarkable material stability. The incorporation of a ZnSe interlayer between the core and the thicker outer ZnS shell enhances both the optical performance and material stability. When further increasing the S/Se ratio to synthesize larger QDs with a thicker ZnS layer, optical performance significantly declines despite the improvement in stability. To achieve QDs with superior optical performance and stability, we controlled the S/Se ratio variation during shell growth and examined its impact on the structure, morphology, and size of InP QDs. Our approach resulted in medium-sized InP/ZnSe/ZnS QDs with tunable wavelengths (606-630 nm), PL quantum yields (PLQY) > 90%, full width at half maximum (FWHM) values < 40 nm, and enhanced material stability.Keywords: indium phosphide (InP), quantum dots (QDs), high efficiency and stability, S/Se ratio of shell, medium-size quantum dots, stainless steel reactor Figure 1

Simulation and performance analysis of CdTe thin film solar cell using different Cd-free zinc chalcogenide-based buffer layers

In this study, the performance of a Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) thin-film solar cell was evaluated with various buffer layers (CdS, ZnSe, ZnO, ZnS) using the Silvaco-Atlas semiconductor device simulator. The impact of these buffer layers on the functionality of the CdTe solar cell was scrutinized at a temperature of 300 K under standard AM1.5G illumination. Initially, the modeling and simulation results of CdS/CdTe solar cell were examined, in comparison with the experimental and simulation results previously reported, to validate our reference structure and to explore its performance. The baseline CdS/CdTe solar cell, serving as a benchmark, yielded a conversion efficiency of 22.14 %. Then we attempted to identify an environmentally friendly alternative buffer layer for the CdTe thin film solar cell by substituting CdS with various Cd-free zinc chalcogenide-based materials (Zn(O,S,Se)) to boost efficiency. By trimming the layer thickness to approximately 0.01 μm, conversion efficiencies of 23.04 %, 23.13 % and 24.48 % were attained for the ZnO, ZnSe, and ZnS buffer layers, respectively. In order to investigate the performance of each proposed structure, thickness and doping density of the absorber and buffer layer were varied. Best efficiency around 25.23 % and 25.04 % are achieved for the optimized solar cells for ZnS and ZnSe buffer layer, respectively. As a result, ZnS and ZnSe are promising materials can be used as an alternative to the commonly used CdS buffer layer in CdTe solar cell. The influence of the operating temperature on solar cell performance was also investigated.

Modeling and optimization of scintillating crystal layers for designing a three-layer phoswich Alpha-Beta-Gamma detector

Monitoring the level of radioactive contamination and the type of radiation in the environment is very important for the protection of facilities, employees, and people. Phoswich detector is one of the useful tools to identify different radiations and separate them from each other using different scintillating crystals. However, their design can be very diverse based on the type of particles analyzed and various parameters of scintillating crystals and needs optimization to have maximum efficiency. This work aims to optimize the scintillating crystal layers for the design of the three-layer alpha-beta-gamma phoswich detector based on Monte Carlo radiation transport calculations. The selection of the appropriate model for the type and thickness of each layer is based on the optimization of parameters such as energy accumulation, produced scintillation optical photons, attenuation of optical photons, and scintillation decay time. The results showed that the three scintillating layers of ZnS(Ag), CaF2(Eu), and LYSO(Ce) with optimal thicknesses of 25.01 μm, 3.50 mm, and 2.54 cm, respectively, have more suitable optical outputs for detecting common alpha-beta-gamma radionuclide emitters.

Extensive emission tuning and characterization of highly efficient CuInS2 quantum dots for white light-emitting diodes.

Whole visible range emitting CuInS2/ZnS QDs were obtained with broad band-width and high luminous efficiency by altering the Cu/In ratio and coating ZnS layer. 1-Dodecanethiol (DDT) as a sulfur source in the ZnS coating process can inhibit the lattice defects caused by Zn2+ inter-diffusion, thus increasing the photoluminescence quantum yield (PL QY). Then the stability and lighting performance of white light-emitting diodes (WLEDs) based on these CuInS2/ZnS QDs were characterized. The optimized WLED device exhibited a moderate luminous efficacy (LE) (70.33 lm·W-1) and ultrahigh color qualities (CRI Ra = 92.7, R9 = 95.9, R13 = 96.3) with warm white at a correlated color temperature (CCT) of 4052 K.

Design and Numerical Analysis of Thin Film Solar Cells Based on Cu₂ZnSn (SₓSe₁₋ₓ)₄ with SnO₂ TCO and ZnS Buffer

Due to their earth-abundance, direct and adjustable bandgap in the range of visible light, and lower fabrication cost on large areas, Cu2ZnSn(SxSe1-x)4 semiconductors, commonly known as kesterite, are gaining recognition as potential materials for affordable, environment‐friendly, and high‐efficiency thin‐film photovoltaics. In this work, we numerically investigated the performance parameters of a single-heterojunction solar cell using Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) / Cu2ZnSnSe4 (CZTSe) absorber layer and ZnS buffer layer, with SnO2 transparent conducting oxide (TCO) under a range of operating conditions and cell parameters. Maximum efficiency of 20.68% was obtained for a 5.5 µm absorber layer with 0.01 µm ZnS buffer layer for Cu2ZnSnSe4 solar cell, and 22.86% was obtained for a 6 µm thick Cu2ZnSnS4 absorber layer with 0.03 µm ZnS layer at room temperature and standard irradiance. The increase of irradiance to thrice the standard value led to 1% and 5% increase in efficiency for CZTS and CZTSe cells, respectively. Efficiency increased by 39% and 6.6% when the front surface was textured at an angle of 90° for CZTS and CZTSe cells, respectively. The CZTS and CZTSe based solar cells with optimized thickness and 90° textured front surface with three times the standard irradiation, showed 25.59 % and 21.52 % efficiency with open circuit voltage 1045 mV and 579.4 mV and short circuit current 85.84 mA/cm2 and 140.7 mA/cm2, respectively. The proposed architecture in this study will help produce next-generation solar cells that are both economical and energy-efficient.

Stacked ZnS multilayers of ZnS(en)0.5 hybrids with enhancing photocatalytic performance for H2 production

Zinc sulfide hybrids with different stacked ZnS multilayers were prepared using a chemical precipitation method in a solvent mixture of Ethylenediamine:Water:Butanol via two routes - nitrate and acetate salt precursors. The impact of butanol solvent contents (30 and 60 vol%) on the formation of orthorhombic-ZnS(en)0.5 hybrid with different stacking of ZnS layers was comprehensively analyzed using X-ray diffraction, Fourier Transform Infrared, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. Scanning electron microscopy was employed to study the influence of the mixture solvent on particle size and morphology of the resulting ZnS(en)0.5 hybrid micro flakes or nanosheets. The photocatalytic response was evaluated through hydrogen production reactions using low photocatalyst load under UV light irradiation, conducted over four reaction cycles. A significant increase in hydrogen production rate (4.6 and 4.0 times more active) was achieved for the exfoliated ultrathin nanosheet ZnS(en)0.5 hybrid prepared with lower butanol contents from the nitrate and acetate route, respectively. This enhancement was attributed to the reduced size of the nanosheets of stacked ZnS multilayers, which resulted from the incorporation of 30 vol% of butanol during the synthesis. Overall, the findings indicate that the Ethylenediamine:Butanol solvent system plays a crucial role in tuning the degree of ZnS stacking layers, the particle size, and morphology of ZnS(en)0.5 hybrids, leading to improved photocatalytic performance in hydrogen production reactions.

Tuning the electronic structure and absorption spectrum of ZnTe/ZnS heterojunctions by selective doping with yttrium: A first-principle study

This paper systematically investigates the electronic structure and optical properties of zinc-blende ZnTe, ZnS systems, ZnTe/ZnS heterojunctions, and Y-doped ZnTe/ZnS heterostructions using the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) method under the density functional theory (DFT) framework. The results show that compared to the single-component ZnTe or ZnS systems, the ZnTe/ZnS heterojunction has a smaller bandgap width and undergoes a redshift in the absorption spectrum, which is favorable for more valence band electrons to be excited by light and transition to the conduction band, thereby enhancing the optoelectronic properties of the material. After Y-doping in the ZnTe/ZnS heterojunction system, when the doping concentration is between 1.56[Formula: see text]at% and 4.69[Formula: see text]at%, doping Y in the ZnS layer would result in the lowest energy formation of the system. Therefore, it can be inferred that in experiments, if the doping concentration is increased beyond this range, Y atoms are more likely to be arranged in the ZnS layer. Compared with the pure ZnTe/ZnS heterojunction system, increasing the Y doping concentration results in a wider bandgap and a more prominent blue shift in the absorption spectrum. Therefore, it is possible to adjust the bandgap of the heterojunction by changing the doping concentration to fabricate heterojunction device with different photoelectric effects and luminescence properties.

Optical limiter based on PT-symmetry breaking of reflectionless modes

The application of parity–time (PT) symmetry in optics, especially PT-symmetry breaking, has attracted considerable attention as an approach to controlling light propagation. Here, we report optical limiting by two coupled optical cavities with a PT-symmetric spectrum of reflectionless modes. The optical limiting is related to broken PT symmetry due to light-induced changes in one of the cavities. Our experimental implementation involves a three-mirror resonator of alternating layers of ZnS and cryolite with a PT-symmetric spectral degeneracy of two reflectionless modes. The passive optical limiting is demonstrated by measurements of single 532 nm 6 ns laser pulses and thermo-optical simulations. At fluences below 10mJ/cm2, the multilayer exhibits a flattop passband at 532 nm. At higher fluences, laser heating combined with the thermo-optic effect in ZnS leads to cavity detuning and PT-symmetry breaking of the reflectionless modes. As a result, the entire multilayer structure quickly becomes highly reflective, protecting itself from laser-induced damage. The cavity detuning mechanism can differ at much higher limiting thresholds and include nonlinearity.

Effect of ZnS and CdS on Some Physical Properties of MgO Films

This article reports on the fabrication and characterization of MgO nanostructured films and the effect of ZnS and CdS on their structural, optical, and electrical properties. The MgO, MgO: ZnS, and MgO: CdS thin films were deposited using a Chemical spray pyrolysis technique onto glass substrates at 673 K. The XRD patterns revealed that the MgO thin films had a preferred (111) orientation with a pure cubic crystalline structure, while the ZnS and CdS layers had a hexagonal structure. The FE-SEM images showed that the MgO films had a nanostructured morphology with an average particle size of ~50 nm. The UV-Vis spectroscopy results showed that the addition of ZnS and CdS layers to the MgO films resulted in a shift in the absorption edge towards the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum, indicating an improvement in their optical properties. These findings suggest that the MgOZnS and MgOCdS films could have potential applications in optoelectronic devices.