Effects of sulfur sources on properties of Cu2ZnSnS4 nanoparticles

Research Paper
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Abstract

In this paper, different shapes of Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) nanoparticles were prepared using different sulfur sources in a microwave irradiation-assisted synthesis method. Factors influencing the morphology and size of the CZTS nanoparticles by different sulfur sources were studied by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The optical properties of the CZTS nanoparticles were characterized by means of UV–vis–NIR spectroscopy. The results showed that flower-like nanocrystals and hollow sphere-like particles were obtained when using thiourea, thioacetamide, and l-cysteine as sulfur source. The size of CZTS nanoparticles from several nanometers to a few hundred nanometers could be obtained. The band gaps of CZTS nanoparticles became widened with the decrease of the size. A vesicle-template mechanism was proposed to explain the formation process of the hollow structure of CZTS nanoparticles.

Keywords

Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) Microwave irradiation method Sulfur source Nanoparticles shape Synthesis method 
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Notes

Acknowledgments

This work has been financially supported by the National Nature Science Foundation of China (61176062), the Science and Technology Supporting Project of Jiangsu Province (BE2012103), a Project Funded by the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, the Funding for Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation in NUAA (BCXJ13-12), the Funding of the Jiangsu Innovation Program for Graduate Education (CXLX13_150), and by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities.

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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2014

Authors and Affiliations

  • Wei Wang
    • 1
  • Honglie Shen
    • 1
    • 2
  • Xiancong He
    • 1
  • Jinze Li
    • 1
  1. 1.College of Materials Science and TechnologyNanjing University of Aeronautics and AstronauticsNanjingPeople’s Republic of China
  2. 2.Key Laboratory for Intelligent Nano Materials and Devices of Ministry of EducationNanjing University of Aeronautics and AstronauticsNanjingPeople’s Republic of China

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