Magnetically-induced synthesis of highly-crystalline ternary chalcopyrite nanocrystals under ambient conditions

Abstract

We report a novel and facile method to synthesize phase pure, chemically homogeneous, and highly crystalline CuInS 2 , an important element for optoelectronics, optics, and solar energy applications. This ternary semiconductor compound is grown by magnetic Zn doping under high-frequency magnetic induction at ambient conditions. The magnetic doping gives superparamagnetic heating of the resulting nanocrystals via magnetic induction, causing an accelerating growth rate of the doped CuInS 2 under ambient conditions of 2-3 orders of magnitude faster than conventional autoclave synthesis. Shape evolution of the Zn doped CuInS 2 nanocrystals from initially spherical, to pyramidal, cubic, and finally to a bar geometry, was detected as a function of time of exposure to magnetic induction. These newly-synthesized nanocrystals demonstrated considerably improved optical emission properties compared to those prepared via conventional autoclave methods. Nanostructural development of the nanocrystals was well characterized and a mechanism of crystal growth was proposed.

Microwave‐Assisted Synthesis of Colloidal Inorganic Nanocrystals

“…However, progress in wet‐chemical fabrication is still far from being exhausted and elaborate reaction strategies, on one side, and innovative practical tools, on the other side, have to be sought to reach an increasingly refined level of synthetic ingenuity. To date, most of synthetic development and related mechanistic investigations have mainly considered the impact of chemical parameters and processes on the features of the resulting NCs, while the effects of purely “physical” conditions or perturbations, such as the presence of externally applied electric or magnetic fields,19, 20, 39–44 exposure to ultrasound or electromagnetic waves, such as UV/Vis light11, 20 or microwave (MW) irradiation,45–47 geometry and dimensions of reactors,48–59 and techniques of reactant delivery and mixing50–64 have been largely overlooked, and therefore their rational exploitation in NC synthesis remains rather sparse.…”

Characterization of surface modified ZnCuInS2 nanocrystals and its application to white light-emitting diodes

“…The color rendering index (CRI), CIE coordinate, and color temperature of white LEDs were estimated from emission spectra (Lab sphere). The spectra indicate an absorption onset around 600 nm, and show typical absorption spectra of semiconductor NCs [14]. As pristine NCs were synthesized in the solution of OAm and TOP ligands, we needed to figure out the surface state of the pristine NCs.…”

A Novel Method for Preparation of Zn‐Doped CuInS2 Solar Cells and Their Photovoltaic Performance

“…Following our previous report [ 16 ], 0.5 mmol diethyldithiocarbamic acid zinc salt was dissolved in 6 mL TOP. The solution was diluted with 24 mL ODE to form a clear solution (solution 1).…”