LAUSR

Abstract In the present investigation, we successfully synthesized Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) nanoparticles via solvothermal method with different sulfur sources at 240 °C for 14 h. The experimental results show that the different sulfur sources caused unique and significant changes in the material properties. The synthesized products were investigated by XRD. Raman spectroscopy revealed that the crystallinity improved and kesterite structures with no secondary phases formed. The TEM results showed that the morphological features of the prepared CZTS nanoparticles had an average particle size of 40 nm and confirmed the nanoparticles' crystallinity. The FESEM results demonstrated that the CZTS nanoparticles had thin films with dense, uniform, and smooth surfaces with grain sizes in a range of 2–4 μm. The CZTS nanoparticles’ optical band gaps were 1.51 eV. XPS was used to investigate the oxidation state of elements in a sample prepared using thiourea. Photovoltaic devices with SLG/Mo/CZTS/CdS/i-ZnO/ZnO:Al structures exhibited3.56% efficiency via CZTS thin film-based nanoparticles prepared using thiourea.