Sol–gel synthesis and characterization of wide band gap p-type nanocrystalline CuBO2

Development of p-type transparent conducting oxides is very important for oxide based transparent electronics. Here we report recently proposed novel copper based delafossite CuBO2 nanocrystalline powder synthesis by a cost-effective novel sol–gel route. The particle sizes were varied by simply changing the pH of the precursor sols. Structural characterization of the as prepared samples was performed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) which confirmed good crystallinity and correct phase formation. Morphological studies were performed by field emission scanning electron microscope. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies confirmed the presence of constituent elements with appropriate valence states for CuBO2. The optical band gap measured by UV–vis–NIR spectrophotometry was found ∼3.6 eV indicating transparency in the visible region.

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► CuBO2 nanocrystals were prepared by a novel sol–gel process.
► Detailed structural studies confirmed the proper phase formation of CuBO2.
► Controlled variation of particle size was established via pH variation.