Sulvanite (Cu3VS4) nanocrystals for printable thin film photovoltaics

Abstract Copper Vanadium Sulfide (Cu3VS4), also known as sulvanite, has recently emerged as a suitable absorber material for thin film photovoltaics. The synthesis of Cu3VS4 nanocrystals via a rapid solvothermal route is reported for the first time. The phase purity of the Cu3VS4 nanocrystals has been confirmed by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy, while the nanoparticle size, of about 10 nm, was evaluated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Successful ligand exchange with sulfide, an inorganic ligand, demonstrated that the nanoparticles are amenable to surface modifications, key element in solution processing. Further annealing of as-synthesized nanocrystals under a sulfur/argon atmosphere at 600 °C, rendered highly crystalline Cu3VS4 powders exhibiting an impurity that could be potentially mitigated by annealing temperature optimization. Thus, Cu3VS4, formed solely from Earth-abundant elements, could provide an inexpensive, reliable approach to fabricating solution processed thin film photovoltaic absorbers.