Routes to Nanostructured Inorganic Materials withPotential for Solar Energy Applications.

Recent advances in nanotechnology could facilitate the productionof cheaper solar cells. This review describes synthetic routes tovarious nanostructured materials that are potentially useful in photovoltaicapplications. We have focused on materials that are based on earthabundant elements and/or those that are held to have lower toxicity.Methods to synthesize binary chalcogenides with variable stoichiometriessuch as iron sulfide, copper sulfide, and nickel sulfide are describedin detail. Other important photovoltaic materials such as cadmiumtelluride and lead sulfide are also covered. Methods to prepare emergingmaterials such as tin sulfide and bismuth sulfide are also discussed.Finally routes to ternary materials, e.g. copper indium sulfide and/orselenide and the quaternary material copper zinc tin sulfide, arediscussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]