Selective synthesis and photoelectric properties of Cu3SbS4 and CuSbS2 nanocrystals

A novel solvothermal chemical route has been developed to synthesize Cu-Sb-S compound nanocrystals in a controllable manner. Cu3SbS4 and CuSbS2 nanocrystals can be selectively prepared by modifying the reaction temperature. The temperature dependent release of antimony from potassium antimonyl tartrate trihydrate faciliated the selective synthesis of Cu3SbS4 and CuSbS2. The bandgap is 1.0 eV for Cu3SbS4 nanocrystals and 1.45 eV for CuSbS2 nanocrystals. Semiconductors of Cu-Sb-S compounds with such band gaps are desirable for solar cell applications. The Cu3SbS4 and CuSbS2 nanocrystals both showed obvious photo-electric response, indicating their potential application as an active layer in thin-film solar cells.