Current Photovoltaic Research ISSN:2288-3274(Print) 2508-125X(Online)

CuSbS₂ (CAS) and CuSbSe₂ (CASe) nanocrystals (NCs), which consist of earth-abundant elements, were synthesized by a mechanochemical method. Elemental precursors such as copper, antimony, sulfur, and selenium were used without adding any organic solvents or additives. The NCs were synthesized by milling for a few hours. The sudden phase changes occurred by self-ignition and propagation, as previously observed in other mechanochemical synthetic processes. The XRD, Raman, and TEM analysis were carried out to determine the crystallinity and secondary phase of the as-synthesized CAS and CASe NCs, confirming the phase-pure synthesis of CAS and CASe. Optical properties were investigated by UV-Vis spectroscopy and it was observed that the band gap energies were about 1.1 and 1.5 eV, respectively for CAS and CASe, suggesting the potential for the use as solar cell materials. The NC colloids dispersed in anhydrous ethanol were prepared and coated on Mo substrates by a facile doctor-blade method. The investigation on the solar cell properties of the as-synthesized materials is underway.