Microwave-Assisted Solution–Liquid–Solid
Synthesis of Single-Crystal Copper Indium Sulfide Nanowires
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Abstract
Chalcopyrite copper indium sulfide
(CuInS<sub>2</sub>) is an important
semiconductor with a bandgap optimal for terrestrial solar energy
conversion. Building photovoltaic and microelectronic devices using
one-dimensional CuInS<sub>2</sub> nanowires can offer directional
conduits for rapid and undisrupted charge transport. Currently, single-crystal
CuInS<sub>2</sub> nanowires can be prepared only using vapor-based
methods. Here, we report, for the first time, the synthesis of single-crystal
CuInS<sub>2</sub> nanowires using a microwave-assisted solution–liquid–solid
(MASLS) method. We show that CuInS<sub>2</sub> nanowires with diameters
of less than 10 nm can be prepared at a rapid rate of 33 nm s<sup>–1</sup> to more than 10 μm long in less than 10 min,
producing a high mass yield of 31%. We further show that the nanowires
are free of structural defects and have a near-stoichiometric composition.
The success of MASLS in preparing high-quality tertiary nanowires
is explained by a eutectic growth mechanism involving an overheated
alloy catalyst