Castor oil and olive oil-capped In2S3 and CuInS2 nanoparticles from xanthate complexes

The study investigates castor oil and olive oil as eco-friendly capping agents of β-In2S3 and CuInS2 semiconductor nanoparticles synthesized by the hot-injection method. The study reveals that the capping agent and reaction temperature have an influence on the morphological, crystallographic and optical properties of the nanoparticles. Rod-like and irregular cubic-like morphologies are predominant in the β-In2S3 and CuInS2 nanoparticles respectively. The crystallinity of the nanoparticles improves significantly with an increase in reaction temperature. Band gaps of between 3.5-4.3 eV and 1.15-1.5 eV were estimated for β-In2S3 and CuInS2 nanoparticles respectively.