Solvothermal synthesis and characterization of quaternary Cu2ZnSnSe4 particles

Quaternary chalcogenide Cu₂ZnSnSe₄ (CZTSe) particles for low cost thin film solar cells were synthesized utilizing a facile solvothermal method. Depending upon different solvents and temperatures, different morphologies and desired chemical composition of CZTSe particles were obtained. The as-obtained particles were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, selected area electron diffraction pattern, energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry and UV–visible (UV–vis) absorption spectra. XRD results revealed that the temperature of 250 °C is suitable for the solvothermal synthesis of CZTSe. UV–vis absorption spectra showed the as-obtained CZTSe particles had strong absorption of visible light and their energy band gaps were tunable; these findings are relevant to the size and morphology of CZTSe particles and are of interest for solar cells.     

Preparation of BiVO4/bentonite catalysts and their photocatalytic properties under simulated solar irradiation

A series of BiVO₄/bentonite catalysts calcined at different temperatures were prepared by the solution combustion method and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) specific surface area and ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflectance (UV–vis DRS) spectra. The results of BET analysis showed that BET specific surface area of BiVO₄/bentonite crystallite decreased with increasing calcination temperature. The results of XRD, FE-SEM and UV–vis DRS analysis indicated that BiVO₄ on bentonite calcined at 300 °C was in a monoclinic structure with a diameter of around 30 nm, as well as strong absorbance in a region of 350–500 nm. The photocatalytic activities of as-prepared catalysts were discussed by the degradation of C.I. Reactive Blue 19 (RB19) under simulated solar irradiation. It was found that the catalyst could be separated from aqueous suspensions by sedimentation after reaction, and maintained almost the same activity after being used five times.     

Synthesis,characterization and optical properties of nanostructured ZnWO4

The ZnWO₄ nanorods were fabricated by template-free hydrothermal route and characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Raman, fluorescence and UV–visible spectra. The ZnWO₄ nanorods were descended from ZnWO₄ nanosheets with the increase of the pH value. The correlations among these optical spectra were studied and the results showed that the ZnWO₄ nanorods had good crystallinity and few oxygen-vacancy defects comparing with ZnWO₄ nanosheets. Fluorescence emission and UV–visible transmission spectra of ZnWO₄ nanorods were increased, while the fluorescence excitation and UV absorption spectra were decreased in the wavelength region of 250–325 nm. This phenomenon was reversed in the wavelength region of 325–400 nm. The ZnWO₄ nanorods displaying superior photocatalytic activity were suitable to be photocatalytic materials which could absorb selectively ultraviolet in the wavelength of 325–400 nm for their low recombination probability of light excited electron–hole.     

Synthesis and characterization of ZnS/ZnO/CdS nanocomposites

Water-soluble ZnS/ZnO/CdS (0.1–0.5 M) nanocomposites were successfully synthesized by the chemical precipitation method in air. X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis), photoluminescence (PL) and thermo gravimetric-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA) were used to characterize the synthesized products. It is found that the ZnS/ZnO/CdS (0.1–0.5 M) core–shell nanocomposite is cubic and hexagonal mixed structure. TEM results showed the prepared nanocomposites are monodispersed and uniform in size. It is confined within 4.3–5.6 nm range. UV–vis absorption spectra were confined growth process of multi shells on ZnS. It showed a red shift with respect to the shells thickness. Fluorescence measurement showed the emission band which exists in the visible region. Stability and phase transition were identified by TG-DTA analysis. The results show an improved florescence property, indicating their potential applications in biological labeling.     

Spectroscopic studies of sol–gel grown CdS nanocrystalline thin films for optoelectronic devices

CdS is one of the highly photosensitive candidate of II–VI group semiconductor material. Therefore CdS has variety of applications in optoelectronic devices. In this paper, we have fabricated CdS nanocrystalline thin film on ultrasonically cleaned glass substrates using the sol–gel spin coating method. The structural and surface morphologies of the CdS thin film were investigated by X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) respectively. The surface morphology of thin films showed that the well covered substrate is without cracks, voids and hole. The round shape particle has been observed in SEM micrographs. The particles sizes of CdS nanocrystals from SEM were estimated to be～10–12 nm. Spectroscopic properties of thin films were investigated using the UV–vis spectroscopy, Photoluminescence and Raman spectroscopy. The optical band gap of the CdS thin film was estimated by UV–vis spectroscopy. The average transmittance of CdS thin film in the visible region of solar spectrum found to be～85%. Optical band gap of CdS thin film was calculated from transmittance spectrum ～2.71 eV which is higher than bulk CdS (2.40 eV) material. This confirms the blue shifting in band edge of CdS nanocrystalline thin films. PL spectrum of thin films showed that the fundamental band edge emission peak centred at 459 nm also recall as green band emission.     

Fabrication of Bi2MoO6 nanoplates hybridized with g-C3N4 nanosheets as highly efficient visible light responsive heterojunction photocatalysts for Rhodamine B degradation

The Bi₂MoO₆/g-C₃N₄ heterojunction photocatalysts have been successfully fabricated using a simple liquid chemisorptions and thermal post-treatment. These nanostructured Bi₂MoO₆/g-C₃N₄ composites were extensively characterized by X-ray diffraction(XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR),UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra (UV–vis DRS) and Photoluminescence (PL). The photocatalytic results show that 20 wt% Bi₂MoO₆/g-C₃N₄ sample exhibits efficient visible light activity and excellent photo-stability. The kinetic constant of RhB degradation over 20 wt% Bi₂MoO₆/g-C₃N₄ is about 5 and 2.5 times higher than that over pure Bi₂MoO₆ and g-C₃N₄ nanosheets, respectively. The enhanced photocatalytic performance is attributed to the construction of heterogeneous interface to promote photo-induced charge carrier pairs separation.     

Optical properties of undoped and cobalt doped ZnS nanophosphor

In the present study, the optical properties of ZnS and cobalt (Co) doped ZnS nanoparticles were investigated at room temperature. ZnS and ZnS:Co nanophosphors were prepared through chemical route, namely the chemical precipitation method and the formation of the nanoparticles were confirmed by X-ray diffraction and field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). Band gap energy of the prepared samples is determined by using a UV–vis–NIR spectrophotometer. The photoluminescence property of ZnS and ZnS:Co sample is determined by fluorescence spectroscopy. The sizes of as prepared nanoparticles are found to be in the 8–9 nm range. The FESEM morphology shows the formation of nanostructure of ZnS samples. The value of optical band gap has been found to be in the range 4.30–4.03 eV. Room temperature photoluminescence (PL) spectrum of the undoped sample exhibits emission in the blue region with multiple peaks under UV excitation. On the other hand, Co²⁺ doped ZnS samples show enhanced visible light emissions under the same UV excitation wavelength of 310 nm.     

Characterization of cadmium sulfide/titania heterostructure films by utilizing microstructure and optical characteristics

Engineering and controlling the bandgap of semiconducting metal oxide (TiO₂) to enhance photoactivity under visible light is challenging. Impact of the changing CdS thickness (50–150 nm) on the structure and optical properties of the CdS/TiO₂ heterostructure films (HSFs) which fabricated by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) was observed. XRD, FE-SEM, AFM, UV–vis and PL spectroscopy measurements were utilized to characterize structural and optical behaviors of the films. XRD measurement shows gradual increments of the lattice constants of the films with the increase of CdS thickness. The mean values of the calculated lattice constants and cell volume (V) were a=b=0.3785 nm, c=0.9475 nm and V=13.58 nm³ respectively. The average of crystallite sizes estimated for TiO₂ and CdS/TiO₂ at various CdS thickness is 12.20, 13.49, 24.24 and 43.10 nm. FESEM images prove the high quality nanocrystalline nature of the films without cracks and dislocation. The root means square roughness of the films was increased with the increase of CdS thickness as showed by AFM images. UV–vis measurement reveals an improvement in the optical absorbance of HSFs in the range of 380–550 nm due to presence of CdS. Interestingly, the PL intensity was enhanced by a factor of nineteen compare to pure TiO₂ attributed to the charge carrier recombination in the band gap. The current results suggest that possibility to improve the optical and structural properties of the TiO₂ films and also it possible to fabricate high quality CdS/TiO₂ HSFs by variation of the CdS thickness.     

Deep blue/ultraviolet microcavity OLEDs based on solution-processed PVK:CBP blends

There is an increasing need to develop stable, high-intensity, efficient OLEDs in the deep blue and UV. Applications include blue pixels for displays and tunable narrow solid-state UV sources for sensing, diagnostics, and development of a wide band spectrometer-on-a-chip. With the aim of developing such OLEDs we demonstrate an array of deep blue to near UV tunable microcavity (μc) OLEDs (λ ∼373–469 nm) using, in a unique approach, a mixed emitting layer (EML) of poly(N-vinyl carbazole) (PVK) and 4,4′-bis(9-carbazolyl)-biphenyl (CBP), whose ITO-based devices show a broad electroluminescence (EL) in the wavelength range of interest. This 373–469 nm band expands the 493–640 nm range previously attained with μcOLEDs into the desired deep blue-to-near UV range. Moreover, the current work highlights interesting characteristics of the complexity of mixed EML emission in combinatorial 2-d μcOLED arrays of the structure 40 nm Ag/x  nm MoO_x/∼30 nm PVK:CBP (3:1 weight ratio)/y  nm 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline (BPhen)/1 nm LiF/100 nm Al, where x = 5, 10, 15, and 20 nm and y = 10, 15, 20, and 30 nm. In the short wavelength μc devices, only CBP emission was observed, while in the long wavelength μc devices the emission from both PVK and CBP was evident. To understand this behavior simulations based on the scattering matrix method, were performed. The source profile of the EML was extracted from the measured EL of ITO-based devices. The calculated μc spectra indeed indicated that in the thinner, short wavelength devices the emission is primarily from CBP; in the thicker devices both CBP and PVK contribute to the EL. This situation is due to the effect of the optical cavity length on the relative contributions of PVK and CBP EL through a change in the wavelength-dependent emission rate, which was not suggested previously. Structural analysis of the EML and the preceding MoO_x layer complemented the data analysis.     

Red luminescence of spherical CuxZn1−xS semiconductor nanoparticles using 2-mercaptoethanol as capping agent

Cu²⁺-doped (0–2 at%) ZnS nanoparticles stabilized by 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME) were successfully prepared using wet precipitation route in aqueous solution. The structural and optical characteristics were studied by various techniques. XRD pattern showed zinc blende cubic structure of Cu²⁺-doped ZnS with grain size of 4±0.5 nm. Spherical shape and well distribution of particles is confirmed by TEM, SEM and STM microscopy. Copper doping were identified by elemental dispersive (EDS) spectrometry. UV–vis spectroscopy revealed strong confinement effect due to blue shift in absorption shoulder peak as compared to bulk ZnS. Red luminescence band at～657 nm on Cu²⁺ doping may be arising from recombination of electrons at sulfur vacancies (V_s) and Cu(t₂) states formed at ZnS band gap. Optimum concentration of 0.25 at% (red band) of Cu²⁺ doping was selected by the observed enhanced PL emission.     

Copper selenide nanorods grown at room temperature by electrodeposition

In this work we employed an electrodeposition technique to prepare copper selenide nanorods with various dimensions by changing bath concentration and keeping deposition time fixed. This study reports the effect of bath concentration on the crystal structure, surface morphology and optical properties of copper selenide thin films. The electrodeposited films were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectra properties, the ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) and compositional analysis. Upon bath concentration, the band gap energy of copper selenide decreases from 2.54 eV to 2.35 eV along with an increase in the crystal size form 7–17 nm. The crystal size was found to increase upon increase in bath concentration and materials exhibit better crystallization. Similar results were also observed in the XRD studies, where peak intensity increased upon bath concentration.     

Influence of pH on structural,optical and electrical properties of solution processed Cu2ZnSnS4 thin film absorbers

Cu₂ZnSnS₄ (CZTS) films were obtained by the dip-coating method. The effect of different pH values 4.0, 4.5, and 5.0 on the structural, morphological, optical and electrical properties of samples was investigated by XRD, SEM, UV–vis and Hall Effect measurements. The XRD spectra showed that the characteristic peak intensity of CZTS semiconductor increased with increasing pH value of the precursor solution. It was also observed that increased pH values resulted in a significant reduction in the amount of impurity phases of the films. The UV–vis studies revealed a significant increase in the optical absorption of thin films in the visible region as the pH value of the solution was increased. The band gap of the samples shifted from 2.0 to 1.38 eV by increasing the pH value. The electrical resistivity of the films was found to vary from 2.8×10⁻² to 3.1 Ω cm, depending on its pH value.     

Optical properties of ZnS nanoparticles prepared by high energy ball milling

In this work, we synthesized zinc sulfide (ZnS) nanoparticles by the mechanochemical route using zinc acetate and sodium sulfide as source materials in a high energy planetary ball mill at rotation speed of 300 rpm with ball to powder ratio 5:1 for 30–120 min. Powder samples were collected at duration of 30 min for different analyses. The milled powders were washed with methanol to remove impurity and dried at 50 °C for 2 h. ZnS nanoparticles are characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, UV–vis–NIR spectrophotometry and fluorescence spectrophotometry. The crystallite size of synthesized ZnS nanoparticles is found to be approximately 2 nm. The optical band gap of the ZnS nanoparticles is found to be in the range of 4.71–5.17 eV. Room temperature photoluminescence (PL) spectra of the samples exhibit blue-light emission using UV excitation wavelength of 280 nm.     

MoO3/Au/MoO3–PEDOT:PSS multilayer electrodes for ITO-free organic solar cells

The effect of the MoO₃–PEDOT:PSS composite layer in the MoO₃/Au/MoO₃–PEDOT:PSS multilayer electrode on the power conversion efficiency of ITO-free organic solar cells (OSCs) was evaluated. The MoO₃ (30 nm)/Au(12 nm)/MoO₃–PEDOT:PSS (30 nm)/PEDOT:PSS structure showed ~7% more optical transmittance than the MoO₃ (30 nm)/Au (12 nm)/MoO₃(30 nm)/PEDOT:PSS structure at 550 nm wavelength. The OSCs using MoO₃/Au/MoO₃–PEDOT:PSS multilayer electrodes as anodes showed a considerable improvement in power conversion efficiency (PCE), from 1.84% to 2.81%, comparable to ITO based OSCs with PCE of 2.89%. This improvement is attributed to the suppression of MoO₃ dissolution by the acidic hole transport layer (HTL) PEDOT:PSS on the MoO₃/Au/MoO₃–PEDOT:PSS multilayer electrode, resulting in high J_sc, V_oc and FF of the OSCs. This composite based multilayer electrode was shown to be a promising replacement in ITO-free flexible optoelectronic devices.     

Studies on structural,morphological, magnetic and optical properties of chromium sesquioxide (Cr2O3) nanoparticles: Synthesized via facile solvothermal process by different solvents

Chromium sesquioxide (Cr₂O₃) nanoparticles have been successfully synthesized via the facile solvothermal process, by using CrO₃ in different solvents. The as-synthesized nanoparticle sizes are calculated and confirmed to be 25–45 nm, by using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The functional groups of the samples were tested by the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Fine and spherical-like morphologies and compositional elements of the products were observed by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy. A weak ferromagnetic (WFM) property was observed for sample by the vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The observed band gap values (E_g=4.33–3.54 eV) higher than that of bulk Cr₂O₃ (~3.4 eV) indicated that the particles had been successfully synthesized in the nano region, and measured by ultra-violet visible (UV–vis) absorption spectroscopy. The broad visible emission at ~399 nm, in the photoluminescence spectroscopy revealed the high purity and perfect crystallinity of the samples.     

Effects of Cu/In ratio and annealing temperature on physical properties of dip-coated CuInS2 thin films

CuInS₂ thin films were prepared by sol–gel dip-coating method on glass substrates using 0.75, 1 and 1.25 ratios of Cu/In in the solution. The prepared films were annealed at 380 °C, 420 °C and 460 °C for 30 min under argon environment. The structural, optical, morphological and composition properties of those were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–vis transmittance spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy with an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer. The XRD results showed that the films exhibit polycrystalline tetragonal CuInS₂ phase with (112) orientation. According to the EDX results the Cu/In ratios of the films were respectively 0.65, 0.92 and 1.35 for the Cu/In ratios of 0.75, 1 and 1.25 in the solutions. The optical band gap was found to be between 1.30 eV and 1.43 eV, depending on Cu/In ratio.     

Effect of thickness on the structural,optical and electrical properties of RF magnetron sputtered GZO thin films

Gallium-doped zinc oxide (GZO) thin films with very high conductivity and transparency were successfully deposited by RF magnetron sputtering at a substrate temperature of 400 °C. The dependence of the film properties over the thickness was investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results revealed the polycrystalline nature of the films with hexagonal wurtzite structure having preferential orientation along [001] direction normal to the substrate. The lowest resistivity obtained from electrical studies was 5.4×10⁻⁴ Ω cm. The optical properties were studied using a UV–vis spectrophotometer and the average transmittance in the visible region (400–700 nm) was found to be 92%, relative to the transmittance of a soda–lime glass reference for a GZO film of thickness 495 nm and also the transparency of the films decreases in the near IR region of the spectra. The mobility of the films showed a linear dependence with crystallite size. GZO film of thickness 495 nm with the highest figure of merit indicates that the GZO film is suitable as an ideal transparent conducting oxide (TCO) material for solar cell applications.     

Synthesis,characterization, and measurement of structural,optical, and phtotoluminescent properties of zinc sulfide quantum dots

A facile and rapid microwave irradiation method was developed to prepare ZnS nanoparticles (NPs) using a set of ionic liquids (ILs) based on the bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide anion and different cations of 1-alkyl-3-methyl-imidazolium. The phases, structures, and optical absorption properties of the NPs were determined in depth with X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy, UV–vis absorption spectroscopy (UV–vis), diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), and photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL). The average crystallite size of the ZnS NPs calculated from the XRD pattern was of the order of 2.8 nm which exhibits cubic zinc blende structure. The energy band gap measurements of NPs were carried out by UV and DRS. The results revealed that the ZnS NPs exhibit strong quantum confinement effect. The optical band gap energy increases significantly compared with those of the bulk ZnS. The refractive indices for different ZnS nanosamples and different concentrations of ZnS NPs for a typical sample suspended in deionized water were also measured.     

Influence of annealing temperature on the structural and optical properties of nanocrystalline zirconium oxide

Nanocrystalline zirconium oxide powder was prepared by sol-gel method using zirconyl chloride octahydrate (ZrOCl₂·8H₂O) and ethylenediaminetetraacitic acid (EDTA) in ammonium hydroxide (NH₄OH) solution. The as-synthesized complex product was annealed at 650 °C, 750 °C and 850 °C for 2 h to get fine ZrO₂ powder. These samples were further analyzed by Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X- ray diffraction (XRD), Energy-dispersive X- ray spectroscopy (EDX), UV-vis analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, Photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL) and Raman Spectroscopy to study their structural and optical properties. The structural studies revealed that nanocrystalline ZrO₂ powder exhibits monoclinic phase with variation in crystallite size with annealing temperature. The UV–vis absorption band edge of ZrO₂ decreases from 514 nm to 451 nm as annealing temperature rises from 650 °C to 750 °C. It seems that the drastic reduction in band gap energy may be one of the novel unexpected characteristics of ZrO₂. The FTIR analyses further confirmed the formation of nanocrystalline monoclinic ZrO₂. PL analysis revealed the novel emission peaks at 305 and 565 nm. The Raman spectroscopy confirmed the transformation of amorphous zirconium hydroxide to m-ZrO₂ with increase in temperature from 650 °C to 850 °C.     

Effect of Ce doping on microstructural,morphological and optical properties of ZrO2 nanoparticles

Pure and Ce doped ZrO₂ nanostructures have been synthesized by the microwave irradiation method. The prepared nanoparticles were characterized by various analytical techniques like Thermogravimetric and Differential Thermal Analysis (TG–DTA), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infra-Red Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive Spectrum (EDS) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The XRD pattern of Ce doped ZrO₂ nanoparticles have been confirms that the tetragonal structure. TEM observations indicated that the average particle size of the pure ZrO₂ some particles spherical shaped and some particles agglomeration in the range of 16–44 nm. Whereas on addition of Ce agglomeration in the range of 32–56 nm. The pure ZrO₂ and Ce doped ZrO₂ nanoparticles were further characterized for their optical properties by UV–vis reflectance spectra (DRS) and Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy.