Development of different characterizations of sprayed Cu2ZnSnS4 thin films: a review

Nanoscale Cu2ZnSnSxSe(4−x) (CZTS/Se) for Sustainable Solutions in Renewable Energy, Sensing, and Nanomedicine

“…Synchrotron, neutron diffraction X-ray, and Raman spectroscopy are suitable techniques for this purpose because of the disparity in neutron scattering lengths of copper (b Cu = 7.718(4) fm) and zinc (b Zn = 5.680(5) fm) [50][51][52]. The melting point of bulk CZTS is 990 • C with a molar mass of 439.471 g.mol −1 and a density of 4.57 g.cm −3 [6]. The bandgap of CZTS/Se is in the range from 1.0 eV to 1.5 eV depending on the S/Se ratio, which is also close to the ideal value of 1.4 eV for single junction semiconductor solar cells.…”

“…Methods and technologies that yield nanoparticles, including nanosheets, nanorods, and QDs, are discussed in detail, with additional focus on thin film fabrication, specifically those that are either formed of nanoscale precursors or present nanostructure upon fabrication with other methods. The research findings focusing on various aspects of CZTS materials are summarized in Table 1 and are explained thoroughly in the text, given that many processes and applications bear similarity to some extent, from fabrication methods [3,5,19,55,63], the life cycle assessment (LCA) and green synthesis approaches [3,64], to applications [3,6], and efficiency and properties improvement [3,5,6,65].…”

“…Among renewable energy technologies, which include geothermal, wind power, and biomass conversion, solar photovoltaics, converting sun light into electricity, carries the most potential, due to the continuous access to the infinite solar resource. Solar cells use the photovoltaic effect to convert solar energy into electricity and have been under development during the last few decades, toward improving their power conversion efficiency (PCE), reducing the cost of production, and satisfying environmental requirements, including sustainability of the fabrication materials and processes [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]. To date, solar cell development and conceptualization has evolved through three generations.…”

“…Within the second generation, the widely used CdTe and CIGS solar absorbers contain toxic elements (Se, Cd) or metals that are expensive or scarce in nature (In, Ga), thus, presenting sustainability concerns [3,6,17,18].…”

Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) for Photoelectrochemical CO2 Reduction: Efficiency, Selectivity, and Stability

“…Together, these components create an environment where the light-absorbing semiconductor photocathode can drive the reduction of CO 2 while maintaining a balanced reaction through the water oxidation at the counter electrode. Therefore, it is essential for a photocathode semiconductor to possess a suitable bandgap to be activated under light exposure [26]. Additionally, the photogenerated electrons and holes must have the minimum thermodynamic energies necessary for the intended application, so as to enable surface redox reactions [13].…”