Syntheses and Characterizations of CuIn1-xZnxSe2 Chalcopyrite Nanoparticles

Khedidja Benameur; Younes Mouchaal; Kheireddine Benchouk; Abdelkader Laafer; Regis Barille

doi:10.3390/ma15041436

Syntheses and Characterizations of CuIn_1-xZn_xSe₂ Chalcopyrite Nanoparticles

Materials (Basel). 2022 Feb 15;15(4):1436. doi: 10.3390/ma15041436.

Authors

Khedidja Benameur¹, Younes Mouchaal^{1

2}, Kheireddine Benchouk¹, Abdelkader Laafer³, Regis Barille⁴

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of Physics of Thin Films and Materials for Electronics (LPCMME), University of Oran 1 Ahmed BenBella, BP 1524 Oran El-Mnaour, Oran 31000, Algeria.
² Faculty of Exact Sciences, University of Mascara Mustapha Stambouli, B.P. 305, Mascara 29000, Algeria.
³ Laboratory of LSTM, Department of Renewable Energy, Faculty of Technology, University of Blida 1, Soumaa Street No.270, Blida 09130, Algeria.
⁴ MOLTECH-Anjou, University of Angers/CNRS (UMR6200), 49045 Angers, France.

Abstract

CuIn_1-xZn_xSe₂ powders with various atomic percentages (x = 0, 0.05, 0.11, 0.16 and 0.21) were synthesized with the solvothermal method using metal chlorides and ethylendiamine as sources of precursors and a solvent, respectively. The experiment aims to investigate the effect of atomic percentages of Zn_x compounds on the structural and optical properties of CuIn_1-xZn_xSe₂ in order to improve future technological applications based on this material. The powders' chalcopyrite phases were identified by X-ray diffraction. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis revealed the presence of Cu, In, Zn and Se with the expected atomic ratio of Zn/(In + Zn). Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy analysis showed that the powders have large-scale desert rose-like structures. The nanopowders' optical study by UV-visible spectrophotometry showed that the CuIn_1-xZn_xSe₂ energy gap values increase with the molar fraction of Zn_x. A change from 1.15 to 1.4 eV was observed.

Keywords: CuIn1-xZnxSe2; chalcopyrite; nanoparticles; solvothermal.