Enhancing Copper-Tin Sulfide thin films with Triethanolamine as a complexing agent

IF 4 2区化学 Q2 CHEMISTRY, PHYSICAL

Journal of Molecular Structure Pub Date : 2025-02-20 DOI:10.1016/j.molstruc.2025.141812

Sijo A K , P. Sapna

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Copper Tin Sulfide (CTS) thin films have garnered attention for their potential in photovoltaic and optoelectronic devices. However, their properties require enhancement for high-efficiency applications. This study explores the impact of Triethanolamine (TEA) as a complexing agent on CTS thin films deposited on soda-lime glass substrates using the Successive Ionic Layer Adsorption and Reaction (SILAR) method. A comparative analysis was conducted between CTS thin films without a complexing agent (CTSNO) and those with TEA as a complexing agent (CTSTEA). The film properties were evaluated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Fourier-transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and electrical and optical analyses. The results indicate that CTSTEA exhibits superior crystallinity, reduced crystallite size, and improved surface morphology compared to CTSNO. Additionally, CTSTEA shows enhanced conductivity (7.52 × 10⁻¹¹ Ω⁻¹ versus 3.86 × 10⁻¹¹ Ω⁻¹ for CTSNO) and controlled optical absorption. These properties make CTSTEA more suitable for high-efficiency applications. The higher band gap of CTSTEA (3.7 eV) and its optical properties, such as UV blocking and high transparency in the visible range, highlight its potential for use in solar cells, UV-protective coatings, and photonic devices. Overall, CTSTEA emerges as a more versatile material, offering improved performance for technologies that require precise control over light absorption and minimal energy loss.

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来源期刊

Journal of Molecular Structure 化学-物理化学

CiteScore

7.10

自引率

15.80%

发文量

2384

审稿时长

45 days

期刊介绍： The Journal of Molecular Structure is dedicated to the publication of full-length articles and review papers, providing important new structural information on all types of chemical species including: • Stable and unstable molecules in all types of environments (vapour, molecular beam, liquid, solution, liquid crystal, solid state, matrix-isolated, surface-absorbed etc.) • Chemical intermediates • Molecules in excited states • Biological molecules • Polymers. The methods used may include any combination of spectroscopic and non-spectroscopic techniques, for example: • Infrared spectroscopy (mid, far, near) • Raman spectroscopy and non-linear Raman methods (CARS, etc.) • Electronic absorption spectroscopy • Optical rotatory dispersion and circular dichroism • Fluorescence and phosphorescence techniques • Electron spectroscopies (PES, XPS), EXAFS, etc. • Microwave spectroscopy • Electron diffraction • NMR and ESR spectroscopies • Mössbauer spectroscopy • X-ray crystallography • Charge Density Analyses • Computational Studies (supplementing experimental methods) We encourage publications combining theoretical and experimental approaches. The structural insights gained by the studies should be correlated with the properties, activity and/ or reactivity of the molecule under investigation and the relevance of this molecule and its implications should be discussed.