Sulvanite (Cu3VS4) nanocrystals for printable thin film photovoltaics

Chen, Ching -Chin; Stone, Kevin H.; Lai, Cheng -Yu; Dobson, Kevin D.; Radu, Daniela

doi:10.1016/j.matlet.2017.09.063

Title: Sulvanite (Cu₃VS₄) nanocrystals for printable thin film photovoltaics

Journal Article · Thu Sep 21 00:00:00 EDT 2017 · Materials Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matlet.2017.09.063· OSTI ID:1416342

Chen, Ching -Chin ^[1]; Stone, Kevin H. ^[2]; Lai, Cheng -Yu ^[1]; Dobson, Kevin D. ^[3]; Radu, Daniela ^[4]

Delaware State Univ., Dover, DE (United States)
SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)
Univ. of Delaware, Newark, DE (United States)
Delaware State Univ., Dover, DE (United States); Univ. of Delaware, Newark, DE (United States)

Copper Vanadium Sulfide (Cu₃VS₄), also known as sulvanite, has recently emerged as a suitable absorber material for thin film photovoltaics. The synthesis of Cu₃VS₄ nanocrystals via a rapid solvothermal route is reported for the first time. The phase purity of the Cu₃VS₄ nanocrystals has been confirmed by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy, while the nanoparticle size, of about 10 nm, was evaluated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Successful ligand exchange with sulfide, an inorganic ligand, demonstrated that the nanoparticles are amenable to surface modifications, key element in solution processing. Further annealing of as-synthesized nanocrystals under a sulfur/argon atmosphere at 600 °C, rendered highly crystalline Cu₃VS₄ powders exhibiting an impurity that could be potentially mitigated by annealing temperature optimization. Furthermore, Cu₃VS₄, formed solely from Earth-abundant elements, could provide an inexpensive, reliable approach to fabricating solution processed thin film photovoltaic absorbers.

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Research Organization:: SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-76SF00515; 1435716; 1535876; EE0006322

OSTI ID:: 1416342

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1549317

Journal Information:: Materials Letters, Vol. 211, Issue C; ISSN 0167-577X

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Cited by: 10 works

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