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Size-controlled chalcopyrite CuInS2 nanocrystals: One-pot synthesis and optical characterization

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Abstract

Chalcopyrite ternary CuInS2 semiconductor nanocrystals have been synthesized via a facile one-pot chemical approach by using oleylamine and oleic acid as solvents. The as-prepared CuInS2 nanocrystals have been characterized by instrumental analyses such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM)/high-resolution TEM (HRTEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), UV-vis absorption spectroscopy (UV-vis) and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The particle sizes of the CuInS2 nanocrystals could be tuned from 2 to 10 nm by simply varying reaction conditions. Oleylamine, which acted as both a reductant and an effective capping agent, plays an important role in the size-controlled synthesis of CuInS2 nanocrystals. Based on a series of comparative experiments under different reaction conditions, the probable formation mechanism of CuInS2 nanocrystals has been proposed. Furthermore, the UV-vis absorption and PL emission spectra of the chalcopyrite CuInS2 nanocrystals have been found to be adjustable in the range of 527–815 nm and 625–800 nm, respectively, indicating their potential application in photovoltaic devices.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Ministry of Education; College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China

    ShengJie Peng, YanLiang Liang, FangYi Cheng & Jing Liang

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  1. ShengJie Peng
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  2. YanLiang Liang
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  3. FangYi Cheng
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  4. Jing Liang
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Correspondence to Jing Liang.

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Peng, S., Liang, Y., Cheng, F. et al. Size-controlled chalcopyrite CuInS2 nanocrystals: One-pot synthesis and optical characterization. Sci. China Chem. 55, 1236–1241 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11426-011-4426-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11426-011-4426-4

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