Fabrication and Characterization of CuInSe 2

The chalcopyrite CuInSe2 thin film synthesized via a low temperature solid state reaction from CuSe and InSe powders was investigated using X-ray diffractomy (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and UV-vis absorption spectroscopy. CuSe and InSe phases react and directly transform into CuInSe2 without the occurrence of any intermediate phase. The morphology of the newly formed CuInSe2 crystalline was close to that of the CuSe reactant particle based on the TEM results, which indicate that the solid state reaction kinetics may be dominated by the In3+ ions diffusion. The CuInSe2 thin film prepared from the solid state reaction did not use the selenide process; its band gap might reach 1.06 eV, which is competent and suitable to be used for a thin film solar cell light absorption layer

A Composite Photocatalyst Based on Hydrothermally-Synthesized Cu2ZnSnS4 Powders

A novel composite photocatalyst based on Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) powders was synthesized and investigated for use as a photocatalyst. CZTS powders were first made using a conventional hydrothermal method and were then used to grow silver nanoparticles hybridized onto the CZTS under various conditions through a microwave-assisted hydrothermal process. After the obtained samples were subsequently mixed with 1T-2H MoS2, the three synthesized component samples were characterized using X-ray diffractometry (XRD), scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (FE-SEM, FE-TEM), UV-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), Brunauer-Emmet-Teller (BET), photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The resulting samples were also used as photocatalysts for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) under a 300 W halogen lamp simulating sunlight with ~5% UV light. The photodegradation ability was greatly enhanced by the addition of Ag and 1T-2H MoS2. Excellent photodegradation of MB was obtained under visible light. The effects of material characteristics on the photodegradation were investigated and discussed

Fabrication of CH3NH3PbI3/PVP Composite Fibers via Electrospinning and Deposition

In our study, one-dimensional PbI2/polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) composition fibers have been prepared by using PbI2 and PVP as precursors dissolved in N,N-dimethylformamide via a electrospinning process. Dipping the fibers into CH3NH3I solution changed its color, indicating the formation of CH3NH3PbI3, to obtain CH3NH3PbI3/PVP composite fibers. The structure, morphology and composition of the all as-prepared fibers were characterized by using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy