Properties of Mechanochemically Synthesized Famatinite Cu<sub>3</sub>SbS<sub>4</sub> Nanocrystals

oleh: Erika Dutková, Jaroslav Kováč, Jaroslav Kováč, Jiří Hejtmánek, Petr Levinský, Adelia Kashimbetova, María Jesús Sayagués, Martin Fabián, Zdenka Lukáčová Bujňáková, Matej Baláž, Katarína Gáborová, Viktor Puchý, Ladislav Čelko

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2023-04-01

Deskripsi

In this study, we report the optoelectric and thermoelectric properties of famatinite Cu<sub>3</sub>SbS<sub>4</sub> that was mechanochemically synthesized in a planetary mill from powder elements for 120 min in an inert atmosphere. The tetragonal famatinite Cu<sub>3</sub>SbS<sub>4</sub> was nanocrystalline with a crystallite size of 14 nm, as endorsed by Rietveld refinement. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy showed several crystallites in the range of 20–50 nm. Raman spectroscopy proved the purity of the synthesized famatinite Cu<sub>3</sub>SbS<sub>4</sub> and chemical-state characterization performed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed that the prepared sample was pure. The Cu<sup>1+</sup>, Sb<sup>5+</sup>, and S<sup>2−</sup> oxidation states in Cu<sub>3</sub>SbS<sub>4</sub> sample were approved. The morphology characterization showed homogeneity of the prepared sample. The photoresponse of Cu<sub>3</sub>SbS<sub>4</sub> was confirmed from I–V measurements in the dark and under illumination. The photocurrent increase reached 20% compared to the current in the dark at a voltage of 5 V. The achieved results confirm that synthesized famatinite Cu<sub>3</sub>SbS<sub>4</sub> can be applied as a suitable absorbent material in solar cells. The performed thermoelectric measurements revealed a figure of merit <i>ZT</i> of 0.05 at 600 K.