Synthesis and characterization of CuInS2 nanostructures and their role in solar cell applications.

Copper indium sulphide (CuInS 2) is regarded as an active material for solar cells owing to its unique optical properties, non-toxicity, low-cost and easy of synthesis. The cost and performance of the solar cell depend not only on the materials, but also on the preparation and fabrication techniques, which are significant for improving the efficiency of the device. In current study, the co-precipitation method was instigated to synthesize the chalcopyrite CuInS 2 semiconductor nanoparticles (NPs) and the effects of annealing temperature on the size, agglomeration, functional groups and elemental compositions were investigated. In the next step, CuInS 2 films were deposited on a conductive substrate using a stable dispersion by an electrophoretic deposition technique. Subsequently, the synthesized NPs and films were subjected to structural, morphological, optical and elemental analysis. X ray diffraction (XRD) revealed the formation of the tetragonal chalcopyrite CulnS 2 NPs at 200 °C and 300 °C with the most prominent peak along the (112) orientation, and the calculated crystallite size ranged from 11.32 to 32.74 nm. Furthermore, the films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, which showed the surface modifications of the electrophoretically deposited films at moderate voltage. The photovoltaic analysis shows that the cell fabricated at 90 V increases the cell's efficiency up to 1.27%, while the cells fabricated at 100 and 110 V increase the efficiency to 1.13% and 0.83%, respectively. [Display omitted] • This study described the synthesis of CuInS 2 NPs by the least complicated co-precipitation route. • The impact of the annealing temperature on crystallographic structure and surface properties of NPs. • Utilization of synthesized NPs to prepare a homogenous suspension for electrophoretic deposition at ambient conditions. • This study explained the effect of applied voltages on morphological properties of films. • The significance of the synthesized CuInS 2 films at different voltages in solar cell devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]