Clean thermal decomposition of tertiary-alkyl metal thiolates to metal sulfides: Environmentally-benign, non-polar inks for solution-processed chalcopyrite solar cells

We report the preparation of Cu2S, In2S3, CuInS2 and Cu(In,Ga)S2 semiconducting films via the spin coating and annealing of soluble tertiary-alkyl thiolate complexes. The thiolate compounds are readily prepared via the reaction of metal bases and tertiary-alkyl thiols. The thiolate complexes are soluble in common organic solvents and can be solution processed by spin coating to yield thin films. Upon thermal annealing in the range of 200-400 ??C, the tertiary-alkyl thiolates decompose cleanly to yield volatile dialkyl sulfides and metal sulfide films which are free of organic residue. Analysis of the reaction byproducts strongly suggests that the decomposition proceeds via an SN1 mechanism. The composition of the films can be controlled by adjusting the amount of each metal thiolate used in the precursor solution yielding bandgaps in the range of 1.2 to 3.3 eV. The films form functioning p-n junctions when deposited in contact with CdS films prepared by the same method. Functioning solar cells are observed when such p-n junctions are prepared on transparent conducting substrates and finished by depositing electrodes with appropriate work functions. This method enables the fabrication of metal chalcogenide films on a large scale via a simple and chemically clear process.ope

Upstream Supply Chain Visibility and Complexity Effect on Focal Company’s Sustainable Performance: Indian Manufacturers’ Perspective

Understanding supply chain sustainability performance is increasingly important for supply chain researchers and managers. Literature has considered supply chain sustainability and the antecedents of performance from a triple bottom line (economic, social, and environmental) perspective. However, the role of supply chain visibility and product complexity contingency in achieving sustainable supply chain performance has not been explored in depth. To address this gap, this study utilizes a contingent resource-based view theory perspective to understand the role of product complexity in shaping the relationship between upstream supply chain visibility (resources and capabilities) and the social, environmental, and economic performance dimensions. We develop and test a theoretical model using survey data gathered from 312 Indian manufacturing organizations. Our findings indicate that supply chain visibility (SCV) has significant influence on social and environmental performance under the moderation effect of product complexity. Hence, the study makes significant contribution to the extant literature by examining the impact of SCV under moderating effect of product complexity on social performance and environmental performance

The Commutators of Classical Groups

In his seminal paper, half a century ago, Hyman Bass established commutator formulas for a (stable) general linear group, which were the key step in defining the group K1. Namely, he proved that for an associative ring A with identity, E(A)=[E(A),E(A)]=[GL(A),GL(A)], E(A)=[E(A),E(A)]=[GL(A),GL(A)], where GL(A) is the stable general linear group and E(A) is its elementary subgroup. Since then, various commutator formulas have been studied in stable and non-stable settings for classical groups, algebraic groups, and their analogs, and mostly in relation to subnormal subgroups of these groups. The basic classical theorems and methods developed for their proofs are associated with the names of the heroes of classical algebraic K-theory: Bak, Quillen, Milnor, Suslin, Swan, Vaserstein, and others. One of the dominant techniques in establishing commutator type results is localization. In the present paper, some recent applications of localization methods to the study (higher/relative) commutators in the groups of points of algebraic and algebraic-like groups, such as general linear groups GL(n,A), unitary groups GU(2n,A, Λ), and Chevalley groups G(Φ,A), are described. Some auxiliary results and corollaries of the main results are also stated. The paper provides a general overview of the subject and covers the current activities. It contains complete proofs borrowed from our previous papers and expositions of several main results to give the reader a self-contained source