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JST Press Release

23th July 2013
Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST)
5-3, Yonbancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-8666
URL http://www.jst.go.jp/EN/index.html

Novel low cost and low toxic semiconductor nanocrystals for printable PV applications

We have demonstrated the novel synthesis of low cost and low toxic semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) containing copper, antimony and sulphur elements. By optimizing specific synthesis conditions (e.g. ligand types, precursor concentrations or temperature), tetrahedrite (Cu12Sb4S13) and famatinite (Cu3SbS4) NCs can be selectively synthesized with the size tuning between 6 to 18 nm. These NCs have exhibited high absorption coefficients reaching 105cm-1 over UV-visible-near infrared wavelengths with band gaps of 1.7 and 1.0 eV for tetrahedrite and famatinite NCs respectively, making them suitable as a light absorber for photovoltaic applications. We have further demonstrated that a thin film can readily be prepared by a simple coating process (dip coating or spin coating) from the NC solution, and confirmed durable photocurrent generation from these films deposited on conducting glasses. The NCs will be used for low cost and low toxic printable PV devices, and the synthetic strategies will be employed to thus synthesize a series of novel NCs.

Researcher Information

JST PRESTO
Research Area: "Photoenergy conversion systems and materials for the next generation solar cells"
Research Theme: "Development of semiconductor quantum dots sensitized solar cells by controlling quantum interfaces"

Journal Information

Joel van Embden, Kay Latham, Noel W. Duffy and Yasuhiro Tachibana “ear-Infrared Absorbing Cu12Sb4S13 and Cu3SbS4 Nanocrystals: Synthesis, Characterization, and Photoelectrochemistry”
Journal of the American Chemical Society, Published online 23 July 2013
(if available)doi: 10.1021/ja402702x

Contact

[About Research]
Yasuhiro Tachibana, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, RMIT University
E-mail:
URL: http://www.rmit.edu.au/staff/yasuhiro-tachibana

[About Program]
Fumiharu Kimura, Masashi Furukawa, Natsuko Kawazoe
Green Innovation Group, Department of Innovation Research, JST
E-mail:

Japanese


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