Preparation and photoelectrochemical properties of densely immobilized Cu2ZnSnS4 nanoparticle films

Tatsuya Kameyama; Takaaki Osaki; Ken-ichi Okazaki; Tamaki Shibayama; Akihiko Kudo; Susumu Kuwabata; Tsukasa Torimoto

doi:10.1039/C0JM00454E

Preparation and photoelectrochemical properties of densely immobilized Cu₂ZnSnS₄nanoparticle films†

Tatsuya Kameyama,^a Takaaki Osaki,^a Ken-ichi Okazaki,^a Tamaki Shibayama,^b Akihiko Kudo,^c Susumu Kuwabata^de and Tsukasa Torimoto*^ae

Author affiliations

* Corresponding authors

^a Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Japan
E-mail: torimoto@apchem.nagoya-u.ac.jp
Fax: +81-52-789-5299
Tel: +81-52-789-4614

^b Center for Advanced Research of Energy Conversion Materials, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan

^c Faculty of Science, Tokyo University of Science, 1-3 Kagurazaka, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan

^d Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan

^e Japan Science & Technology Agency, CREST, Kawaguchi, Saitama, Japan

Abstract

Colloidal Cu₂ZnSnS₄ (CZTS) nanoparticles with sizes of 5–6 nm that contain no highly toxic elements were successfully synthesized through thermal reactions of metal acetate and sulfur in high-temperature oleylamine solution. The reaction temperature was a key factor for the synthesis of CZTS nanoparticles: synthesis at temperatures higher than 240 °C gave a pure CZTS crystal phase, whereas a secondary phase of CuS was formed at reaction temperatures lower than 180 °C. Nanoparticles were successfully accumulated on ITO-coated or quartz glass substrates via layer-by-layer deposition using 1,2-ethanedithiol as a cross-linking agent. The resulting CZTS particle films exhibited a photoresponse similar to that of p-type semiconductor photoelectrodes in an aqueous solution containing Eu(NO₃)₃ as an electron scavenger. Potentials of the valence band edge and conduction band edge were determined from the onset potential of the cathodic photocurrent to be +0.3 and −1.2 V vs. Ag/AgCl, respectively.

Article information

https://doi.org/10.1039/C0JM00454E

Article type

Paper

Submitted

19 Feb 2010

Accepted

09 Apr 2010

First published

27 May 2010

Download Citation

J. Mater. Chem., 2010,20, 5319-5324

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Preparation and photoelectrochemical properties of densely immobilized Cu₂ZnSnS₄ nanoparticle films

T. Kameyama, T. Osaki, K. Okazaki, T. Shibayama, A. Kudo, S. Kuwabata and T. Torimoto, J. Mater. Chem., 2010, 20, 5319 DOI: 10.1039/C0JM00454E

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Journal of Materials Chemistry