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Facile one-pot synthesis of polytypic (wurtzite–chalcopyrite) CuGaS2

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Abstract

In this investigation, monodisperse CuGaS2 nanoparticles intended for use as visible-light-absorbing materials were synthesized using a facile one-step heating method that involved dissolving the precursors copper chloride, gallium acetylacetonate, and thiourea in a solvent consisting of either oleylamine alone or a combination of oleylamine, oleic acid, and 1-octadecene. The shapes of the resulting nanoparticles were either elongated, polygonal, or a mixture of both, depending on whether the crystal structure of the nanoparticles was predominantly wurtzite, predominantly chalcopyrite, or a more balanced mixture of both wurtzite and chalcopyrite (i.e., the nanoparticles were polytypic: both wurtzite and chalcopyrite phases were present). The crystal structure of the synthesized nanoparticles was found to be influenced by the temperature and the solvent applied during synthesis. X-ray diffraction data for the nanoparticles indicated that applying a temperature of 270 °C or using oleylamine, oleic acid solvent, and 1-octadecene during synthesis tended to yield a chalcopyrite phase, whereas applying a somewhat lower temperature (210 °C) or using oleylamine alone during synthesis tended to result in a wurtzite phase. The chemical states of the compounds obtained at different temperatures and using various solvents, as well as their crystal structures, morphologies, and optical properties were characterized via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, and photoluminescence.

Graphical abstract

Optical absorbance spectrum (red line) and photoluminescence spectrum (black line) of a CuGaS2 solid solution, and applications of this material in optoelectronics (photos below the spectra)

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Iran University of Science and Technology and aided by Professor Wolfgang Tremel at the Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Metallurgy and Material Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, 16844, Iran

    Yaser Vahidshad, Seyed Mohammad Mirkazemi & Reza Ghasemzadeh

  2. Institute of Inorganic Chemistry and Analytical Chemistry, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Duesbergweg 10-14, 55099, Mainz, Germany

    Muhammad Nawaz Tahir & Wolfgang Tremel

  3. Department of Physics, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, 11365-9161, Iran

    Azam Iraji Zad

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  1. Yaser Vahidshad
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Vahidshad, Y., Mirkazemi, S.M., Tahir, M.N. et al. Facile one-pot synthesis of polytypic (wurtzite–chalcopyrite) CuGaS2 . Appl. Phys. A 122, 187 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-016-9637-2

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