Optical and Optoelectrical Properties of Ternary Chalcogenide CuInS<sub>2</sub>/TiO<sub>2</sub> Nanocomposite Prepared by Mechanochemical Synthesis

oleh: Erika Dutkova, Matej Baláž, Jaroslav Kováč, Nina Daneu, Adelia Kashimbetova, Jaroslav Briančin, Jaroslav Kováč, Soňa Kováčová, Ladislav Čelko

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2024-03-01

Deskripsi

In this work, a nanocomposite consisting of ternary chalcogenide CuInS<sub>2</sub> and TiO<sub>2</sub> was prepared and its optical and optoelectrical properties were investigated. The CuInS<sub>2</sub>/TiO<sub>2</sub> nanocomposite was produced via one-step mechanochemical synthesis and characterized from the crystal structure, microstructural, morphology, surface, optical, and optoelectrical properties viewpoints. X-ray diffraction confirmed the presence of both components, CuInS<sub>2</sub> and TiO<sub>2</sub>, in the nanocomposite and revealed a partial transformation of anatase to rutile. The presence of both components in the samples was also proven by Raman spectroscopy. HRTEM confirmed the nanocrystalline character of the samples as crystallites ranging from around 10 nm and up to a few tens of nanometers were found. The presence of the agglomerated nanoparticles into larger grains was proven by SEM. The measured optical properties of CuInS<sub>2</sub>, TiO<sub>2</sub>, and CuInS<sub>2</sub>/TiO<sub>2</sub> nanocomposites demonstrate optical bandgaps of ~1.62 eV for CuInS<sub>2</sub> and 3.26 eV for TiO<sub>2</sub>. The measurement of the optoelectrical properties showed that the presence of TiO<sub>2</sub> in the CuInS<sub>2</sub>/TiO<sub>2</sub> nanocomposite increased its conductivity and modified the photosensitivity depending on the ratio of the components. This study has demonstrated the possibility of preparing a CuInS<sub>2</sub>/TiO<sub>2</sub> nanocomposite material with promising applications in optoelectronics in the visible region in an eco-friendly manner.