Synthesis and Characterization of Copper-Based Ternary Metal Chalcogenides

Synthesis and Characterization of Copper-Based Ternary Metal Chalcogenides
Author: Jose Javier Sanchez Rodriguez
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2023
Genre: Electronic dissertations
ISBN:

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The current climate crisis is a great concern to humankind due to the devastating effects of the consistent rise of anthropogenic greenhouse gases. A viable alternative to reducing greenhouse gas emissions is the development of solar harvesting technologies. The need to develop new semiconductor materials with more capacity to absorb light and convert it into electricity is rapidly growing. A promising class of materials for this purpose are copper-based ternary chalcogenides such as CuCrS2, CuSb1-xBixS2, and Cu3VS4.The synthesis and characterization of copper-based ternary chalcogenides nanocrystals (NCs) have gained popularity in the scientific community due to their novel, physical, chemical, optical, electronic, magnetic, and mechanical properties. NCs can be precursors to the next-generation nanoparticle-based thin film solar cells. This generation of thin film solar cells is advantageous in terms of the compounding benefits. Materials in the forms of NCs offer size, and morphology-dependent properties, high absorption coefficients, and tunable bandgaps. Nanoparticle-based thin film solar cells use very thin layers of material, lowering their production cost while making the systems flexible, more efficient, and compatible with new and existing infrastructure.This dissertation addresses several challenging issues and realizes the successful fabrication of novel CuCrS2, CuSb1-xBixS2 (x=1, 0.18), and Cu3VS4 NCs-based thin films. These systems were synthesized using two different thermal decomposition methods: heat-up (HU) and hot-injection (HI). This dissertation presents a detailed study involving the synthesis and characterization of the above-mentioned semiconductors by applying the developed nano-to-thin film approach. Their optical and electrical properties were explored, and their respective optical bandgaps were determined using UV-vis and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). The ability of the fabricated thin films to generate a photocurrent under sunlight irradiation was explored, reporting their responsivities and current conversion efficiencies.

Synthesis and Characterization of Copper Manoparticles and Copper-polymer Nanocomposites for Plasmonic Photovoltaic Applications

Synthesis and Characterization of Copper Manoparticles and Copper-polymer Nanocomposites for Plasmonic Photovoltaic Applications
Author: Sabastine C. Ezugwu
Publisher:
Total Pages: 228
Release: 2012
Genre:
ISBN:

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Deposition techniques for the fabrication of metal nanostructures influence their morphological properties, which in turn control their optical behavior. Here, copper nanoparticles (np-Cu's) were grown using a deposition system that was specifically set up during this work, and is based on a radio frequency (RF) sputtering source that can operate at high temperature and under bias voltage. The effect of deposition conditions (RF power, chamber pressure and substrate bias voltage) on RF sputtered np-Cu's using RF sputtering has been studied. The study included a comparison between the morphological and optical properties of as-grown np-Cu's and thermally treated samples. The characterization of np-Cu's is carried out by atomic force microscopy, UV-visible transmission spectrophotometry, scanning electron microscopy and scanning near field optical microscopy (SNOM) techniques. The results of the experiment showed that the combined effects of low RF power (25 W - 75 W), high chamber pressure (17 Pa - 23 Pa) and substrate DC bias voltage (300 V - 400 V) are required for obtaining dispersed np-Cu's. Under these conditions, copper nanoparticles grow by aggregation of initial island nuclei due to a reduction in sputtering rate. Significantly, higher dispersed np-Cu's are obtained when a set of samples grown at 25 W and 33 W RF power is subjected to thermal treatment in an oxygen-free glove box. Optical properties of np-Cu's show improvement in the visible region (535nm - 580 nm) related to transmission enhancement in as-deposited samples and plasmonic enhancement in thermally treated ones. Furthermore, an approach to determine the position of the np-Cu induced scattered wave was explored using SNOM (x, z) measurements. In bare np- Cu's the path length of the scattered wave is further from the np surface, measured orthogonally. We demonstrated experimentally a method that uses an SiO2 thin film as a spacer to broaden the scattered wave up to 500 nm from the np-Cu/SiO2 composite surface. The study provides an improved insight that helps to understand the physical mechanisms that may hinder the expected performance in plasmonic solar cells. With these results, the potential of incorporating np-Cu's in plasmonic thin film solar cell structures looks very promising.

Photovoltaics Beyond Silicon

Photovoltaics Beyond Silicon
Author: Senthilarasu Sundaram
Publisher: Elsevier
Total Pages: 819
Release: 2024-06-28
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 0323901891

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Photovoltaics Beyond Silicon: Innovative Materials, Sustainable Processing Technologies, and Novel Device Structures presents the latest innovations in materials, processing and devices to produce electricity via advanced, sustainable photovoltaics technologies. The book provides an overview of the novel materials and device architectures that have been developed to optimize energy conversion efficiencies and minimize environmental impacts. Advances in technologies for harnessing solar energy are extensively discussed, with topics including materials processing, device fabrication, sustainability of materials and manufacturing, and the current state-of-the-art. Contributions from leading international experts discuss the applications, challenges and future prospects of research in this increasingly vital field, providing a valuable resource for students and researchers working in this area. Presents a comprehensive overview and detailed discussion of solar energy technology options for sustainable energy conversion Provides an understanding of the environmental challenges to be overcome and discusses the importance of efficient materials utilization for clean energy Looks at how to design materials processing and optimize device fabrication, including metrics such as power-to-weight ratio, effectiveness at EOL compared to BOL, life-cycle analysis

Synthesis and Characterization of Earth Abundant and Nontoxic Metal Chalcogenides Produced Via Aerosol Spray Pyrolysis for Photovoltaic Applications

Synthesis and Characterization of Earth Abundant and Nontoxic Metal Chalcogenides Produced Via Aerosol Spray Pyrolysis for Photovoltaic Applications
Author: Patrick John Davis
Publisher:
Total Pages: 66
Release: 2013
Genre: Copper sulfide
ISBN: 9781303506864

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A novel synthesis technique for the production of copper zinc tin sulfide (CZTS) nanocrystals has been developed using aerosol spray pyrolysis. CZTS is a quaternary semiconducting material that shows promise as a replacement to common semiconductors such as CdTe and CIGS for use in photovoltaic devices. CIGS is currently being commercialized in the photovoltaic industry, but rare and expensive indium and gallium components threaten its long term viability. CZTS looks to be one of the best alternatives to CIGS with all earth abundant and non-toxic materials and recent impressive gains in efficiency. A number of synthesis techniques have been thoroughly studied and detailed previously. In our novel approach, we synthesis single phase nanocrystals, starting with zinc, copper, and tin diethyldithiocarbamate precursors in a toluene solvent. The precursor solution is aerosolized using an ultrasonic nebulizer wherein the droplets are vacuumed through a tube furnace and nucleation occurs. We reproducibly synthesize kesterite, Cu2ZnSnS4, nanocrystals. This technique continuously converts the chemical precursor into high-purity nanopowder with a production rate of ~50 mg/hour for an un-optimized, lab-scale reactor. Using the same precursor chemistry, we have also been able to deposit high-quality CZTS thin films directly onto Mo-coated Swiss glass substrates using the aerosol spray pyrolysis technique. A thorough discussion of the current photovoltaic field, the processing parameters and challenges of nanocrystal and thin film production, and the experimental results will be presented. Characterization via Raman spectroscopy, EDS, XRD, TEM and XPS will be offered along with future recommendations and considerations.

Solar Energy Conversion and Storage

Solar Energy Conversion and Storage
Author: Suresh C. Ameta
Publisher: CRC Press
Total Pages: 280
Release: 2015-11-05
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1482246317

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Solar Energy Conversion and Storage: Photochemical Modes showcases the latest advances in solar cell technology while offering valuable insight into the future of solar energy conversion and storage. Focusing on photochemical methods of converting and/or storing light energy in the form of electrical or chemical energy, the book:Describes various t

Sustainable Materials and Green Processing for Energy Conversion

Sustainable Materials and Green Processing for Energy Conversion
Author: Kuan Yew Cheong
Publisher: Elsevier
Total Pages: 506
Release: 2021-10-01
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 0128230703

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Sustainable Materials and Green Processing for Energy Conversion provides a concise reference on green processing and synthesis of materials required for the next generation of devices used in renewable energy conversion and storage. The book covers the processing of bio-organic materials, environmentally-friendly organic and inorganic sources of materials, synthetic green chemistry, bioresorbable and transient properties of functional materials, and the concept of sustainable material design. The book features chapters by worldwide experts and is an important reference for students, researchers, and engineers interested in gaining extensive knowledge concerning green processing of sustainable, green functional materials for next generation energy devices. Additionally, functional materials used in energy devices must also be able to degrade and decompose with minimum energy after being disposed of at their end-of-life. Environmental pollution is one of the global crises that endangers the life cycles of living things. There are multiple root causes of this pollution, including industrialization that demands a huge supply of raw materials for the production of products related to meeting the demands of the Internet-of-Things. As a result, improvement of material and product life cycles by incorporation of green, sustainable principles is essential to address this challenging issue. Offers a resourceful reference for readers interested in green processing of environmentally-friendly and sustainable materials for energy conversion and storage devices Focuses on designing of materials through green-processing concepts Highlights challenges and opportunities in green processing of renewable materials for energy devices

Low-Voltage Electrophoretic Deposition of Nanocrystal-Based Copper-Chalcogenide Thin-Films

Low-Voltage Electrophoretic Deposition of Nanocrystal-Based Copper-Chalcogenide Thin-Films
Author: Andrew Dillon
Publisher:
Total Pages: 192
Release: 2018
Genre: Chalcogenides
ISBN:

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Photovoltaic (PV) devices are a clean and renewable source of energy, yet their widespread adoption is hindered by their cost, much of which is dominated by fabrication of the devices themselves. Current methods for PV device fabrication are slow and energy intensive. While much work has been done to engineer solution-processable precursors to thin-film electronic materials, particularly for PV applications, relatively little has been done in developing scalable methods for depositing these "inks". In this work, electrophoretic deposition (EPD) of colloidal nanocrystals (NCs) is explored as a method for the fabrication of semiconducting thin films. For photovoltaic applications, a low process voltage is highly desirable to avoid damaging the accreting semiconductor. Herein is reported a continuous flow reactor design that can operate at reduced voltage compared to a traditional batch reactor while preserving the electrophoretic velocity of the NCs by utilizing narrow electrode spacing and removing film thickness limitations by continuously flowing the colloidal dispersion of NCs. Through modeling and experiment, the process parameters necessary to completely utilize the NCs in the feed solution, thereby achieving nearly 100% atom economy in the deposition process, are demonstrated. For electrophoretic deposition (EPD) to achieve its potential as a method for assembling functional semiconductors, however, it is necessary to understand both what governs the threshold voltage for deposition and how to reduce that threshold. Post-synthetic modification of the surface chemistry of all-inorganic copper-zinc-tin-sulfide (CZTS) nanocrystals (NCs) enables EPD at voltages below 2V--a six-fold or greater improvement over previous examples of non-oxide semiconductors. The chemical exchange of the original surfactant-based NC-surface ligands with selenide ions yields essentially bare, highly surface-charged NCs. Thus, both the electrophoretic mobility and electrochemical reactivity of these particles are increased, favoring deposition, resulting in thick, uniform and crack-free films without sintering from stable, well-dispersed colloidal starting materials. In-situ imaging of the reactor during deposition provides a quantitative measure of the electric field in the bulk of the reactor; this, coupled with chronoamperometry, reveals the fundamental reaction and mass transport limitations of low-voltage EPD, and a crossover from mass transport-limited to reaction rate-limited EPD is observed. In order to fully realize an all-solution-processed PV device, every aspect of the device must be fabricated by solution-processing methods. Consequently, solution-processed transparent conductors are also studied. 2D transition metal carbides and nitrides, known collectively as MXenes, are highly conductive and water-dispersible, suggesting their utility as solution-assembled optoelectronic and plasmonic materials. Here, 2D Ti3C2 is assembled from solution into optical quality, nanometers-thin films that, at 6500 Siemens-per-centimeter, surpass the conductivity of other solution-processed 2D materials due to their metal-like free-electron densities. Simultaneously they transmit >97% of visible light per-nanometer-thickness, constituting the first example of a new class of solution-processed, carbide-based 2D optoelectronic materials.

Nanocatalysis

Nanocatalysis
Author: Vivek Polshettiwar
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 670
Release: 2013-09-06
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 1118609808

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Exhibiting both homogeneous and heterogeneous catalytic properties, nanocatalysts allow for rapid and selective chemical transformations, with the benefits of excellent product yield and ease of catalyst separation and recovery. This book reviews the catalytic performance and the synthesis and characterization of nanocatalysts, examining the current state of the art and pointing the way towards new avenues of research. Moreover, the authors discuss new and emerging applications of nanocatalysts and nanocatalysis, from pharmaceuticals to fine chemicals to renewable energy to biotransformations. Nanocatalysis features contributions from leading research groups around the world. These contributions reflect a thorough review of the current literature as well as the authors’ first-hand experience designing and synthesizing nanocatalysts and developing new applications for them. The book’s nineteen chapters offer a broad perspective, covering: Nanocatalysis for carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatom coupling reactions Nanocatalysis for various organic transformations in fine chemical synthesis Nanocatalysis for oxidation, hydrogenation, and other related reactions Nanomaterial-based photocatalysis and biocatalysis Nanocatalysts to produce non-conventional energy such as hydrogen and biofuels Nanocatalysts and nano-biocatalysts in the chemical industry Readers will also learn about the latest spectroscopic and microscopy tools used in advanced characterization methods that shed new light on nanocatalysts and nanocatalysis. Moreover, the authors offer expert advice to help readers develop strategies to improve catalytic performance. Summarizing and reviewing all the most important advances in nanocatalysis over the last two decades, this book explains the many advantages of nanocatalysts over conventional homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts, providing the information and guidance needed for designing green, sustainable catalytic processes.