Articles
  • Effect of different polyol solvents on the synthesis of CuInS2 nanoparticles by cyclic microwave irradiation
  • Nawapong Chumhaa, Titipun Thongtema, Somchai Thongtemb, Sila Kittiwachanaa,c,d and Sulawan Kaowphonga,c,d,*
  • a Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand b Department of Physics and Materials Science, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand c Center of Excellence in Materials Science and Technology, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand d Center of Excellence for Innovation in Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
Abstract
CuInS2 nanoparticles were synthesized by a cyclic microwave irradiation method at 600 W for 75 cycles. The effect of different polyol solvents (ethylene glycol, glycerol, and propylene glycol) on the synthesis of the CuInS2 nanoparticles was investigated. Characterized by XRD, the powders synthesized using ethylene glycol and glycerol were pure CuInS2 with tetragonal structure. However, CuInS2 with the existence of CuS was obtained when using propylene glycol due to the lower resulting reaction temperature. FTIR spectra of the residual solvents after the synthesis process were determined and this revealed that ethylene glycol and glycerol were the solvents with good reducing capability. FESEM images revealed that the synthesized CuInS2 powders were composed of nanoparticles with diameters in the range of 20-100 nm. The CuInS2 nanoparticles synthesized using glycerol were smaller than those synthesized using ethylene glycol, due to the higher viscosity of glycerol.

Keywords: CuInS2, Microwave radiation, Semiconductors, Nanocrystalline materials.

This Article

  • 2017; 18(12): 871-874

    Published on Dec 31, 2017

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