CZTS is a relatively non-toxic semiconductor material made of earth-abundant elements compared with other materials.  The direct bandgap of ~1.5 eV means that it can absorb a large part of the visible region of the solar spectrum, and is an interesting candidate for photocatalysis. Semiconductor nanorods have several advantages for use in catalysis, including a high surface area and lower electron-hole recombination rates.  Metal deposited on the surface of semiconductors is also thought to aid in catalysis, slowing recombination and may also lead to selectivity in products. Here we report the deposition of metal islands onto CZTS nanorods using photodeposition techniques as well as thermal pathways.  Deposition was studied using metal precursors, as well as pre-formed metal nanoparticles.  The resulting heterostructures were characterized with a variety of methods, including UV-Vis, TEM, EDS, XPS, Powder XRD and others.  These heterostructures were also screened for reactivity for a variety of reactions under various photocatalytic conditions.  Results of this part of the research are ongoing and will be discussed further once studies are complete.

Synthesis and characterization of metal deposited CZTS nanostructures for use in catalysis

247th National Meeting (2014)

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