Effect of cadmium concentration on structural, optical, and electrical properties of Cu2Zn1-xCdxSnS4 quinternary alloy nanofibres, synthesized by electrospinning technique

Abstract

The Cu2Zn1-xCdxSnS4 quinternary alloy nanofibres with different Cd concentrations were grown on glass substrate using the electrospinning technique. The structural properties of Cu2Zn1-xCdxSnS4 quinternary alloy nanofibres were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Optical properties were analysed through UV-visible spectrophotometry (UV-Vis) and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, which revealed that there is a decrease in band gap from 1.75 eV to 1.61 eV, with the increasing Cd concentration from x = 0 to x = 1. The current-voltage measurements exhibited a power conversion efficiency of 3% under the solar illumination with intensity of 100 mW/cm2. Electrical properties supported that the Cu2Zn1-xCdxSnS4 quinternary alloy can be used as an absorber in solar cells. The bulk modulus, refractive index, and dielectric constant were also investigated.