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In this study, novel Li2ZnSnS4 (LZSS4) thin films have been manufactured using the inexpensive spray pyrolysis system. The study of the X-ray diffraction (XRD) of the LZSS4 films demonstrated that these LZSS4 samples have crystalline structures with monoclinic phases. The elemental analysis of the LZSS4 samples refers to the presence of Li, Zn, Sn, and S in the LZSS4 samples. Their ratio is near 2:1:1:4. Meanwhile, the linear optical study of the LZSS4 samples indicates that the LZSS4 samples have a direct energy gap (Eg), and the growth of thickness led to a decrease in the Eg values from 1.73 eV to 1.48 eV. Conversely, the refractive index of the LZSS4 samples increases from 2.56 to 4.18 by raising the thickness of the investigated samples. Moreover, the Wemple-Didomenico single oscillator model was applied to compute the dispersion parameters of the LZSS4 samples. It was found that the dispersion energy, Ed, improved from 15.87 to 17.26 eV, and the oscillator energy, Eo, dropped from 6.44 to 4.91 eV by raising the thickness from 261 to 486 nm. Also, the study of the optoelectrical and nonlinear optical parameters refers to enhancing the non-linear refractive index (n2), optical resistivity (), optical carrier concentration (), relaxation time (τ), and optical mobility (). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research seeks to fabricate neoteric VSbO4 sheets at various thicknesses (138, 217, 291, and 374 nm) utilizing spray pyrolysis. Scanning electron microscopy was used to analyze the VSbO4 sheets' surface properties. Aside from that, X-ray diffraction demonstrated that all neoteric VSbO4 films revealed a polycrystalline nature with a tetragonal structure. The optical characteristics of the neoteric VSbO4 sheets were investigated using transmission and reflection spectrophotometric readings. The refractive index of the neoteric VSbO4 sheets increased by enlarging the sample thickness. The VSbO4 sheets' Urbach energy magnitudes have increased from 0.113 to 0.146 eV by increasing layer thickness from 138 to −374 nm. Also decreasing from 3.81 to 3.37 eV is the optical band-gap energy. Further, the impacts of layer thickness on the linear optical parameters increase the refractive index, electrical conductivity, real and imaginary sections of the dielectric indices, and optical conductivity. The nonlinear optical indices of the neoteric VSbO4 films grew as the sheet thickness increased from 138 to 374 nm. Further, the activation energy of the explored VSbO4 sheets decreased by increasing the sheet thickness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors use chemical bath deposition to synthesize novel copper-nickel bismuth sulfide (CuNiBiS3) thin films on glass slides. The X-ray diffraction measurements detected the crystal structure of the CuNiBiS3 layers, which display orthorhombic structures for these films. The structural indices of the CuNiBiS3 layers were determined by the Williamson–Hall relationship. Furthermore, the Energy dispersive spectroscopy of the CuNiBiS3 layers refers to these layers having a stoichiometric composition. On the other side, the linear optical indices of the CuNiBiS3 layers were determined depending on the transmittance and reflectance data. The energy gap analysis indicates that the CuNiBiS3 layers have a direct optical transition. The energy gap values of the CuNiBiS3 layers were reduced from 1.43 to 1.31 eV by enlarging the thickness of these layers. These layers' nonlinear, optoelectrical, and dispersion indices, like the static high-frequency dielectric constant, optical conductivity, dispersion energy, nonlinear refractive index, and optical carrier concentration, were improved by boosting the layer thickness. Moreover, the hot probe test revealed that CuNiBiS3 layers tended to acquire p-type characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current research, spray pyrolysis was effectively employed to create the ZnSnO3 and Cr: ZnSnO3 films at substrate temperature 320 °C. The X-ray diffraction spectra of the ZnSnO3 and Cr: ZnSnO3 thin films revealed a rhombohedral structure corresponding to the ZnSnO3 phase. The structural analysis refers to increasing the Cr content from 0 to 7.5 wt% led to a reduction in the crystallite size of the investigated layers from 36.92 to 23.87 nm. The EDX measurements verified the existence of the Zn, Sn, and O in the ZnSnO3 and Cr, Zn, Sn, and O in the Cr: ZnSnO3 thin films. The ratios of these elements match the stoichiometry of ZnSnO3. Spectrophotometric measurements of the transmission and reflection of the neoteric Cr: ZnSnO3 sheets were used for analyzing their optical characteristics. The optical transmissions of the ZnSnO3 and Cr: ZnSnO3 films were reduced from 94 to 81% by boosting the Cr content. Moreover, the studied films attained band gaps reduced from 3.71 to 3.29 eV, boosting the Cr content from 0 to 7.5 wt%. Also, the analysis of the refractive indices of the investigated films displays an improvement in these values from 2.43 to 3.75. The Urbach energy of these samples increased from 0.13 to 0.17 eV by enlarging the Cr content. The optoelectrical indices like electrical conductivity, real and imaginary sections of the dielectric indices, and optical conductivity are all boosted by boosting the Cr content. The impact of Cr content on the nonlinear optical parameters refers to an enhancement in the nonlinear optical parameter's values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research seeks to fabricate neoteric Ag2BaGeS4 sheets at various thicknesses (163, 229, 341, and 438 nm) utilizing chemical bath deposition. Scanning electron microscopy was used to analyze the Ag2BaGeS4 sheets’ surface properties. Additionally, X-ray diffraction results revealed that all neoteric Ag2BaGeS4 films exhibited polycrystalline nature with a tetragonal structure. The optical characteristics of the neoteric Ag2BaGeS4 sheets were investigated using spectrophotometric transmission and reflection measurements. By increasing the layer thickness, the Ag2BaGeS4 sheets’ Urbach energy and absorption coefficient magnitudes have increased. Additionally, the optical band-gap energy decreases from 1.62 to 1.47 eV. Additional effects of layer thickness on the linear optical parameters include increasing the electrical conductivity, refractive index, real and imaginary sections of the dielectric indices, and optical conductivity. On the other hand, the nonlinear optical characteristics of the neoteric Ag2BaGeS4 films increased as the sheet thickness increased from 163 to 438 nm. The semiconductor type of the neoteric Ag2BaGeS4 films was detected by the hot-probe test, which identifies these films as p-type semiconductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, we report the manufacture of neoteric AgGaGeS4 layers by the thermal evaporation method. The AgGaGeS4 layers exhibited orthorhombic structure, and the structural indices were evaluated using the Scherer formulas from the XRD data. Further, the surface study indicated that the AgGaGeS4 films have homogenous and uniform surfaces, while energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) confirmed the compositional constituent percentages of the AgGaGeS4 layers. The optical properties of the AgGaGeS4 layers refer to improving the extinction coefficient, absorption coefficient, and refractive index by enlarging the layer thickness. In addition, the optical bandgap of the AgGaGeS4 layers was lowered from 1.67 to 1.46 eV by boosting the layer thickness. Furthermore, the skin depth of these layers diminished, whereas the absorption coefficient values revealed the opposite trend. On the other side, Miller's equations have been applied to assess nonlinear optical properties of the AgGaGeS4 layers, such as nonlinear refractive index and first and third-order nonlinear optical susceptibility. Moreover, the hot-probe method proved the p-type semiconducting characteristics of the AgGaGeS4 layers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess trace element concentrations (Zn, Cu, Pb, Cr, Cd and Ni) in the mangrove swamps along the Saudi coast of the Arabian Gulf, thirteen samples of surface sediment and leaves of grey mangrove, Avicennia marina were collected and analyzed. The detected trace element contents (μg g-1) in surface sediments were in the following descending order according to their mean values; Cr (49.18) > Zn (48.48) > Cu (43.06) > Pb (26.61) > Ni (22.88) > Cd (3.21). The results showed that the average concentrations of Cd and Pb exceeded their world average concentration of shale. The geo-accumulation, potential ecological risk and toxicity response indices demonstrated that trace elements have posed a considerable ecological risk, especially Cd. The inter-relationships between physico-chemical characters and trace elements suggests that grained particles of mud represent a noteworthy character in the distribution of trace elements compared to organic materials. Moreover, the results revealed that Zn was clearly bioaccumulated in leaf tissues A. marina. Dredging, landfilling, sewage effluents and oil pollution can be the paramount sources of pollution in the area under investigation.