In Effect of Reducing Agents in the Preparation and Light Harvesting Properties of CuinS2 Nanoparticles

Abstract

Tetragonal Copper Indium disulphide (CuInS2) nanoparticles in the size range of 80 nm were prepared by microwave assisted solution synthesis process. Three different Sulphur sources namely, thioacetamide (TAA), thiourea and l-cysteine were used in this process. In this regard, samples showed no evident difference in their morphological or structural properties when prepared by all through all three sources. Accordingly the band gap of all the samples remained close 2.2 eV and did not deviate much. However solar cell tests and photocatalytic degradation studies revealed the advantage of thiourea as a Sulphur source over its counterparts. A form factor (FF) of 34% and 73% degradation efficiency of methyl orange were shown by CuInS2 nanoparticles prepared by thiourea as opposed to 30% FF in other samples.