Superior Crystallinity Research Articles

Microstructure, matrix interactions, and molecular structure are the key determinants of inherent glycemic potential in pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum)

The archaeological staple, pearl millet (PM) has been acclaimed to be slow digestible with ultimate lower inherent glycemic potential (IGP) among the staple cereals. IGP which directly depends on the rate and extent of starch hydrolysis, also depends on various intrinsic variables like food microstructure, food matrix composition/component interactions as well as the molecular configuration of starch. As comprehensive characterization of inherent variables of IGP was largely ignored, the present work aimed to investigate that in PM. In-vitro oro-gastro intestinal simulation revealed PM to be low IGP (63.71%) compared to rice (65.89%). Microstructural analysis revealed that high pericarp thickness (22.71 ± 0.20 μm) could be a vital component hindering the easy accessibility of carbolytic enzymes even though granule size (2.16 ± 0.12 μm), as well as endodermal surface area (1199.64 ± 2.86 μm2), was lower than control rice. It was also found that dense food matrix components and higher starch-lipid (S-L) interaction visualized by CLSM contributes to the resistance towards digestive enzymes. The molecular structures were explored using FTIR, XRD to understand the synergistic effects of short-range and longer-range molecular patterns (R1047/1022: 0.80 & CD %: 21.73%) of PM starch, which revealed the superior crystalline compactness as vital towards low IGP. The results show the importance of microstructure, dense composition, molecular configuration of starch as well as component interactions (S-L) in attenuating starch digestion in a real food matrix (i.e. PM) while the complexities of real digestion should be considered and explored using dynamic models in future.

Intrinsic, P-doped and B-doped nanocrystalline silicon thin films grown at room temperature on flexible substrates for photovoltaic applications

Nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si) thin films in its intrinsic (i-nc-Si), B-doped (p-nc-Si) and P-doped (n-nc-Si) configurations were developed on the flexible substrates at ambient temperature (∼30 °C), using no additional H2 dilution in planar inductively coupled plasma chemical vapour deposition (ICP-CVD) system. A superior crystallinity (∼81%) with electrical conductivity (σD ∼10-7 S cm−1) was achieved for the intrinsic Si thin film by the virtue of the presence of atomic-H in high density within ICP-CVD, which initiates nucleation even at room temperature on the flexible substrates. Substitution of boron (B) dopants at the crystalline Si lattice maintains a high crystallinity (∼80%) and results significantly high electrical conductivity (6 x10-1 S cm−1) in the p-nc-Si thin film. On the contrary, during the growth of n-nc-Si films, a substantial amount of phosphorous (P) dopants, residing at the interstitial position, results in a moderate crystallinity (∼73%) and relatively lesser conductivity (3 x10-1 S cm−1) than the p-nc-Si films. Finally, in the present work i-nc-Si, p-nc-Si and n-nc-Si thin films all are successfully prepared on the flexible substrates at room temperature, with ample crystallinity, wide optical band gap (∼1.9–1.80 eV) and significant electrical conductivity, which appear suitable for the low-cost fabrication of flexible p-i-n solar cells.

Green chemistry approaches for extraction of cellulose nanofibers (CNFs): A comparison of mineral and organic acids

This study reports for the first time an environmentally friendly process to prepare cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) from industrial Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) bast fibers by acid hydrolysis treatment combined with ultrasonication. Hemp bast fibers were pretreated using 4 wt% NaOH (alkali treatment) followed by bleaching with acetate buffer in aqueous chlorite. The morphology, chemical functional groups, thermal stability, and crystallinity of the nanocellulose nanofibers were obtained via characterization using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). FTIR spectra revealed that no new chemical functional groups were introduced on the surface of cellulose nanofibers when compared to bleached cellulose. XRD data and SEM micrographs showed that low sulfuric acid hydrolysis led to higher crystalline and rod-like cellulose nanofibers, whereas hydrolysis at higher concentration of sulfuric acid resulted in lower crystalline cellulose nanofibers. Cellulose nanofibers with high crystallinity also had good thermal stability, which is a favourable property for high temperature applications. Based on the findings, it was concluded that low-cost hemp bast fiber can be regarded as a greener and sustainable industrial waste for the preparation of cellulose nanofibers with superior crystallinity and thermal stability.

Photoluminescence properties of heavily Sb doped Ge1−x Sn x and heterostructure design favorable for n+-Ge1−x Sn x active layer

We investigated the photoluminescence (PL) properties of heavily Sb doped n+-Ge1−x Sn x layers and demonstrated the formation of a double heterostructure (DHS) for the n+-Ge1−x Sn x active layer. A single PL peak was observed for n+-Ge1−x Sn x layers thicker than 80 nm with increasing the Sb concentration up to 1020 cm−3, attributed to the superior crystallinity and pseudo-direct bandgap transition mechanism, while a 15 nm thick n+-Ge1−x Sn x layer did not exhibit PL signals. A favorable heterostructure for n+-Ge1−x Sn x is proposed from the viewpoint of the increased valence band offset (ΔE v) using n-Si y Ge1−y as the cladding layer. We demonstrated the formation of an n-Si y Ge1−y (15 nm)/n+-Ge1−x Sn x (15 nm)/n-Si y Ge1−y (15 nm) DHS with a superior crystallinity and high PL peak intensity comparable to that of a thick n+-Ge1−x Sn x . We discuss the reasons for the PL performance improvement by forming the DHS, including the sufficient carrier confinement and the suppression of surface recombination.

Nb2C MXenes modified SnO2 as high quality electron transfer layer for efficient and stability perovskite solar cells

The power conversion efficiency of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) has rapidly increased for the past few years, which draw more attention of the researchers. Here we for the first time by introducing Nb2C MXenes as an external additive for SnO2 electron transfer layer (ETL), which leads an obvious growth of SnO2 grains. The atomic-resolution high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM) revealed that the in-corporation of Nb2C MXenes can result the increased of lattice spacing facets of SnO2, which finally show an improved roughness, surface energy and defects of the SnO2-Nb2C based ETL compared with the control SnO2 film. The subsequent peroveskite films deposition on the SnO2-Nb2C ETL demonstrate a higher quality with superior crystalline and effective carrier transport. Therefore, we achieve a champion power conversion efficiency of 22.86% for PSCs based on SnO2-Nb2C ETL from 18.96% of the control devices, and these target devices remain 98% of the origin efficiencies after 40 days at 25 °C under the 40–60% humidity. This work offers an insight into the design and preparation of a modified electron transfer layer for boosting power conversion efficiency and long-time stability of perovskite solar cells as well as the other perovskite-based photoelectric conversion electronic devices.

Ultrafast synthesis of HKUST-1 nanoparticles by solvothermal method: Properties and possible applications

Although an astounding variety of Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) has been synthesized so far, the search for fast and efficient methods that yield greener and superior crystalline structures is yet an ongoing challenge. For the first time, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST-1) MOF has been synthesized by an efficient non-conventional solvothermal method through a Monowave 50 (Anton Paar) reactor. The synthesis has been carried out at 5, 10, 15, and 30 min instead of staggering times of 10 to 24 h. Its crystalline structure, crystallite size, morphology, particle size, specific surface, and optical properties have been characterized. The presumed presence of monocrystalline structures along with a roughly band gap energy at 3.5 eV makes them compelling nanostructures for a variety of applications.

GaAs-based optoelectronics grown on GaAs/Si virtual substrates with multiple spaced thermal-cycle annealing

This paper describes the growth of a GaAs-based light-emitting diode (LED) on a GaAs/Si virtual substrate by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. A GaAs/Si virtual substrate (or template) was formed by depositing a 3.5-μm-thick GaAs epilayer on a (100) Si substrate with the employment of multiple spaced thermal-cycle annealing (TCA). The number of annealing cycle was zero to five in this study to examine crystallinity variation of a GaAs/Si template. High-resolution X-ray rocking curve analysis showed that (400) GaAs crystallinity in terms of full width at half maximum (FWHM) improved significantly with the number of the spaced TCA and then reached a minimum at four annealing cycles. There seems to be no significant difference in crystallinity between the GaAs/Si templates with four and five spaced annealing cycles. The GaAs/Si template with four spaced annealing cycles demonstrated not only an excellent (400) FWHM value of 94.6 arcsec but also a reduced dislocation density of 2.4 × 107 cm−2 evaluated from plan-view transmission electron microscopic observation. Electroluminescence spectra of GaAs-based LEDs grown on GaAs/Si templates showed that emission peak intensity increased monotonically with the number of the spaced annealing cycles. Furthermore, the emission peak intensity of a LED grown on the GaAs/Si template with five spaced annealing cycles reached 80% of a reference LED grown on a GaAs substrate, indicating that the presented multiple spaced TCA method may be useful in obtaining superior crystallinity of a GaAs/Si template for the potential application of monolithic integration of optoelectronic devices with Si.

Maintaining superior crystallinity and conductivity in boron-doped nc-Si ultra-thin films by hydrogen plasma treatment

In view of using doped nanocrystalline Si (nc-Si) as the emitter layer in nc-Si/crystalline-Si heterojunction solar cells, a very thin (≤ 50 nm) emitter layer with high conductivity and superior crystallinity is optimum. In the present work, p-nc-Si:H thin film prepared in inductively coupled plasma chemical vapor deposition, without using additional H2-dilution in [SiH4 + B2H6 (1% in H2)]-plasma, retains conductivity ~10−1 S cm−1 and crystallinity ~68% at a low thickness (t) ~50 nm. The charge carrier transport through the heavily doped nc-Si network demonstrates reverse Meyer–Neldel characteristics for t ≥ 50 nm. However, with reduction to t < 50 nm, the evolution of the ultra-nanocrystalline dominated amorphous network, accompanied by accumulation of Si–H–Si platelet-like components in the grain boundary, leads to a drastic reduction in conductivity to 10−4 S cm−1. In this context, the post-deposition and short-time hydrogen plasma treatment (PSHPT) on the as-deposited ultra-thin (t ~30 nm) film becomes instrumental in substantially enhancing the crystallinity from 40% to 69% and increasing conductivity by two orders of magnitude to 10−2 S cm−1. The network modification by PSHPT proceeds via transformation of the surface and sub-surface weak bonds and is significant for the ultra-thin film compared to the thick film, due to retaining a superior surface-to-bulk ratio.

Effect of oxygen partial pressure on microstructure, optical and electrical property of C-Al co-doped ZnO films

C-Al co-doped ZnO films with superior optical and electrical property have been deposited at oxygen partial pressure range 1–7 Pa by pulse laser deposition. The influences of oxygen pressure on crystalline, optical and electrical property have been investigated. The C-Al co-doped ZnO films exhibit a superior crystallinity and greater grain size in the range of 1 Pa–3 Pa compared to AZO films. Furthermore, carbon doping at various oxygen partial pressure significantly improves the optical and electrical property. C-Al co-doped ZnO film reaches the lowest resistivity of 3.1×10-4 Ω cm at 1 Pa. The average transmittance is higher than 85% and attains the optimal value of 89.9 %.

Bio-plastic Films Production from Feather Waste Degradation by Keratinolytic Bacteria Bacillus cereus

Plastic materials have become a necessity of human life especially in the packaging of food commodities and biomedical procedures. Bioplastic is emerging as an effective alternative to fossil oil-based materials to avoid the environmental hazards of the plastic industry. During this study, chicken feathers were used as a substrate to isolate keratin degrading bacteria. Among 14 identified isolates, Bacillus sp BAM3 was found to be the most promising isolate. Partial 16S rDNA analysis-based molecular characterization revealed it is a strain of Bacillus cereus. Bacillus sp BAM3 can grow and produce keratinase in feathers containing basal medium as the sole carbon and energy source. The maximum keratinase production (730U/ml) was achieved within 24 h under optimum reaction conditions. The optimized reaction pH and temperature were noted as 9.0 and 50 °C for crude keratinase activity, respectively. The chicken feathers were used as a substrate in 2, 5, and 10 wt% glycerol to synthesize keratin-based bioplastic with keratinolytic bacterium Bacillus cereus BAM3. Bioplastic prepared from keratin with 2% of glycerol was found to possess good mechanical properties. Therefore, the results present a novel keratinolytic isolate of Bacillus cereus BAM3, which may have potential biotechnological applications in keratin hydrolysis processes. The development of keratin-based bioplastics possessing superior crystalline morphology requires further investigations to substitute fossil oil-based materials.

Studies on morphological, physico-chemical and mechanical properties of wheat straw reinforced polyester resin composite

In this research, wheat straw (the agricultural by-product from the wheat plant, scientific name Triticum) reinforced unsaturated polyester resin composites were developed by applying a simple and easy technique to improve supportable composite materials. Therefore, untreated and sodium hydroxide-treated wheat straws have been used to form a strong and durable composite. The morphological, chemical and thermal properties of these composites were explained scientifically by using scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction etc. Moreover, these eco-friendly composites were analyzed their mechanical, biodegradability, and water absorption properties and compared them. In detail, the tensile strengths of virgin resin (VR), untreated wheat straw reinforced composite (UTWSC), and 2% sodium hydroxide treated wheat straw reinforced composite (2TWSC) were found to be 11.75, 14.45, and 19.84 N/mm2 respectively. Therefore, the reinforcement performance of tensile strength for 2% sodium hydroxide treated composite of wheat straw (2TWSC) and the composite of untreated wheat straw (UTWSC) increased by ~ 69% and ~ 23% respectively than the composite of virgin resin. Again, the modified composite (2TWSC) was stronger (27%) and more durable (17%) than the untreated composite considering the mechanical strength and biodegradability. The TGA results indicate that the composites are stable up to 315 °C. This modified composite also shows superior crystallinity compared to the untreated one. The typical water absorption behavior follows the Fickian diffusion law. This developed sustainable composite could be used for chair, table, door panel, seatback, dashboard, park bench, cabinet, particleboard, fence, rooftop, etc.

Evaluation of Sr and Cs ions adsorption capacities with zeolitic materials synthesized from various mass ratios of NaOH to coal fly ash

The adsorptive aqueous removal of Sr2+ and Cs+ was performed using zeolitic materials prepared with fused coal fly ash (CFA) using a hydrothermal method. The influence of the mass ratio of NaOH to CFA of 0.3-1.2 in the synthesis of zeolitic material was evaluated its crystallization properties by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The zeolitic materials synthesized at the mass ratio of NaOH to CFA of 0.6-1.2 could be identified to have the same location as the XRD peaks of Na-A zeolite at 2θ = 7.18 - 34.18. They appeared to be zeolitic materials which were crystalline particles with a cubic structure by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The experimental adsorption data for Sr2+ and Cs+ using the zeolitic materials were estimated satisfactory using pseudo-2nd-order kinetics and Langmuir isotherm models. The highest maximum adsorption capacities (qm) of 147.6 mg/g for Sr2+ and 160.2 mg/g for Cs+ were estimated by using the zeolitic material. This material demostrated superior crystallinity and was synthesized at a mass ratio of NaOH to CFA of 0.6. Consequently, the zeolitic material prepared from the fused CFA through the hydrothermal method could be used effectively for the adsorption of Sr2+ and Cs+ in aqueous solutions.

Effect of binary additives in mixed 2D/3D Sn-based perovskite solar cells

Additive doping improves the morphology and stability of tin (Sn)-based perovskite films under ambient conditions. However, the role of additives in the perovskite layer is not clearly understood, especially when two or more additives are incorporated. In this study, the effect of binary additives composed of 2-phenylethylammonium iodide (PEAI) and ethylenediammonium diiodide (EDAI2) on formamidinium tin iodide (FASnI3) perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is studied. PEAI plays an important role in reducing the dimensionality of the perovskite crystals from 3D to mixed 2D/3D, whereas EDAI2 resides on the grain periphery as a linker to improve the interconnection between neighboring grains. Overall, the optimum blending of the two additives, 8 and 1 mol % of PEAI and EDAI2, produces pinhole-free, compact perovskite film with superior crystallinity and preferential orientation, exhibiting very low background charge carrier density, reduced trap states and suppressed recombination losses. The reduced dimensionality and favored perovskite layer stacking lead to a better interlayer coupling that improves charge transfer at the interfaces. Consequently, the best PSC exhibits a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 8.47% with an open-circuit voltage (VOC) of 0.634 V and the device stability is enhanced up to 5 days in ambient conditions without any additional encapsulation.

Significant Passivation Effect of Cu(In, Ga)Se2 Solar Cells via Back Contact Surface Modification Using Oxygen Plasma

Molybdenum back contact plays a significant role in chalcopyrite Cu(In, Ga)Se2 (CIGS) solar cells. A molybdenum oxide intermediate layer is applied to optimize the back contact from the aspect of absorber crystal growth regulation and back surface field reconstruction. A novel molybdenum oxide preparation method is introduced through oxygen plasma treatment of the molybdenum layer. CIGS film is obtained by sputtering from a quaternary target with post‐selenization. The shortage of Cu and Se in the middle of the absorption layer causes crystallization stratification. A bidirectional regulation method for controlling intermediate fine grains is proposed. Superior crystallinity is produced to facilitate carriers’ transport and reduce recombination at grain boundaries. Back passivation is achieved by forming a reverse p–n junction on the back surface. Despite the formation of this reverse junction, the efficiency of the device is still improved because the transport of holes is assisted by the molybdenum oxide's gap states. Thus, back surface recombination is effectively reduced by back passivation, leading to the increase in open‐circuit voltage (Voc) and fill factor (FF). The power conversion efficiency of treated solar cells increases by 34.1%. An innovative direction is proposed to optimize the back contact of CIGS solar cells in this study.

Supporting effects of a N-doped carbon film electrode on an electrodeposited Ni@Ni(OH)2 core-shell nanocatalyst in accelerating electrocatalytic oxidation of oligosaccharides.

The supporting effect of a N-doped carbon film induced superior crystallinity in electrodeposited Ni@Ni(OH)2 core–shell nanoparticles. This improvement resulted in a much higher regeneration rate of catalytic sites (NiOOH), leading to higher oxidation currents of sugars. Also, the overpotential of the maltopentaose (G5) oxidation reaction decreased significantly, probably due to the effect of the electrostatic interaction between NPs and G5.

Exploring the Effect of Double Additives in Mixed 2D/3D Sn-Based Perovskite Solar Cells

Additive doping improves the tin (Sn)-based perovskite film morphology and ambient stability, however the function of additive in the perovskite film is limited, especially when two or more additives are used. In this study, the effect of double additives such as 2-phenylethylammonium iodide (PEAI) and ethylenediammonium diiodide (EDAI2) on the formamidinium tin iodide (FASnI3) films were explored. The perovskite film with only PEAI has showed several pinholes which is not suitable for ideal large area solar cell. While mixing of the two additives for an optimum concentration of PEAI (8 mol%) and EDAI2 (1 mol%) produced pinhole-free compact perovskite film with superior crystallinity, preferential orientation, low background charge carrier density, reduced trap states, and suppressed non-geminated recombination losses. The reduced dimensionality and favored perovskite layer stacking led to better interlayer coupling and increase charge transfer at interfaces. Consequently, a high-power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 8.47% and an open circuit voltage (V OC) of 0.634 V were achieved for the perovskite solar cell (PSC) with mixed additive, and the fabricated solar cells exhibits excellent stability for 5 days in ambient conditions.

Facile synthesis of flower-like T-Nb2O5 nanostructures as anode materials for lithium-ion battery

As a model quasi-2D network intercalation electrodes, niobium pentoxide (Nb2O5) has gained numerous attention in electrochemical materials because of its structural stability and high safety. Nevertheless, Nb2O5 exhibits the inherent low conductivity of transition metal oxides, which limits the rate of ionic diffusion and charge transfer. To overcome the drawbacks, the nanoscale Nb2O5 can be synthesized to improve electrochemical performance. Here, we prepared the flower-like orthorhombic Nb2O5 (i.e., T-Nb2O5) nanostructures to evaluate the effect of Nb2O5 nanoparticle morphology associated with crystallinity for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) anode. T-Nb2O5-2 displays superior crystallinity, pore structure, capacity, reversibility, and cycling stability. Specifically, T-Nb2O5-2 exhibits the initial charge/discharge capacity of 289 and 525 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C, and after 100 cycles, the capacity is 178.2 mAh g−1 at 1 C when the solvothermal time is 16 h. This study shows that Nb2O5 with good crystallinity can slow down the volume expansion and structural deformation generated during the intercalation–deintercalation of Li-ions. We believe that the specified Nb2O5 presented in this work has great potential as a promising candidate for high-performance LIB anodes.

Two-Photon Absorbing AIEgens: Influence of Stereoconfiguration on Their Crystallinity and Spectroscopic Properties and Applications in Bioimaging.

This paper aims at designing chromophores with efficient aggregation-induced emission (AIE) properties for two-photon fluorescence microscopy (2PFM), which is one of the best-suited types of microscopy for the imaging of living organisms or thick biological tissues. Tetraphenylethylene (TPE) derivatives are common building blocks in the design of chromophores with efficient AIE properties. Therefore, in this study, extended TPE AIEgens specifically optimized for two-photon absorption (2PA) are synthesized and the resulting (E/Z) isomers are separated using chromatography on chiral supports. Comparative characterization of the AIE properties is performed on the pure (Z) and (E) isomers and the mixture, allowing us, in combination with powder X-ray diffraction and solid-state NMR, to document a profound impact of crystallinity on solid-state fluorescence properties. In particular, we show that stereopure AIEgens form aggregates of superior crystallinity, which in turn exhibit a higher fluorescence quantum yield compared to diastereoisomers mixtures. Preparation of stereopure organic nanoparticles affords very bright fluorescent contrast agents, which are then used for cellular and intravital two-photon microscopy on human breast cancer cells and on zebrafish embryos.

Fresh oil palm frond juice as a novel and alternative fermentation medium for bacterial cellulose production

Abstract In this study, fresh oil palm frond (OPF) juice was explored as an alternative fermentation medium for the production of bacterial cellulose (BC) by Acetobacter xylinum 0416. The effect of surface area to volume of fermentation medium (S/V) ratio and nitrogen sources supplementation to OPF juice were investigated to improve the BC production. The S/V ratio of 0.25, 0.50 and 0.75 were initially prepared using Hestrin and Schramm (HS) medium. The medium was inoculated with A. xylinum 0416 and incubated statically at 28 ± 1 °C for 10 days. The yield and properties of BC produced were measured where the highest yield and best properties obtained reflects the optimum S/V ratio. The production of BC from supplemented OPF juice with yeast extract and peptone were carried out at the same fermentation condition and optimum S/V ratio. The thickness and yield of BC obtained were measured while its characteristics were analysed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and tensile strength. Results showed that the lowest S/V ratio at 0.25 gave the highest yield of BC, superior crystallinity and tensile strength as compared to the higher S/V ratio. SEM images of BC samples exhibited a slight difference on the surface morphology of BC network between the three S/V ratios, whilst denser BC network was obtained from OPF juice. The production of BC from OPF juice showed outstanding performance by increasing the yield up to six times higher to that produced in HS medium. Moreover, the BC exhibited superior tensile strength and crystallinity compared to the BC produced from HS medium. Therefore, the findings from this study offer a promising alternative fermentation feedstock from OPF juice for BC production.

Structural, surface morphological and optical properties and their correlation with the thickness of spin coated superior quality CdS thin film synthesized using a novel chemical route

Cadmium sulfide (CdS) is considered as a superior buffer/window layer in thin-film solar cells apart from its various applications. The thickness of the buffer/window layer that defines the interface between the absorber layer is very important and needs to be thoroughly investigated for optimized device performance, particularly when a novel synthesis route and deposition technique is used. This manuscript presents the investigation on the various structural, morphological, and optical parameters and their correlation with the thickness of CdS thin film synthesized using a novel thiol-amine cosolvent with the help of Triton-X 100 surfactant. Spin coating technique is used to deposit CdS thin-films having thicknesses ranging from 100 to 300 nm on a glass substrate. X-ray diffraction (XRD) exposed the polycrystalline nature of the CdS films. All the diffraction peak intensities were found to increase with the thickness. Structural parameters like dislocation density, lattice strain, and crystallites per unit area calculated from the XRD data were found superior to those parameters for CdS films synthesized through various chemical routes, and the parameters indicated a positive correlation of the degree of crystallinity on the thickness. Similarly,surface morphology and optical properties of CdS films that were investigated by the scanning electron microscope (SEM) and UV–VIS spectrophotometer, were also dependent on film thickness. These results show that CdS thin film with superior crystallinity can be synthesized using thiol-amine cosolvent along with the Triton-X 100 surfactant and deposited by low-cost spin-coating on glass substrate. Moreover, the thickness variation appeared to be a single tool for obtaining application-specific various properties of CdS thin-film.