Cu2XSnY4 Nanoparticles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10177262-B2
Application number	US-201414210012-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 13, 2014
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Jan 8, 2019
Grant date	Jan 8, 2019

Abstract

Materials and methods for preparing Cu 2 XSnY 4 nanoparticles, wherein X is Zn, Cd, Hg, Ni, Co, Mn or Fe and Y is S or Se, (CXTY) are disclosed herein. The nanoparticles can be used to make layers for use in thin film photovoltaic (PV) cells. The CXTY materials are prepared by a colloidal synthesis in the presence of labile organo-chalcogens. The organo-chalcogens serves as both a chalcogen source for the nanoparticles and as a capping ligand for the nanoparticles.

First claim

We claim:

1. A process for making Cu 2 XSnY 4 nanoparticles, the process comprising:
reacting in a solvent a copper precursor, an X precursor and a tin precursor in the presence of a primary chalcogen precursor comprising a labile organo-chalcogen to form a nanoparticle and to form a surface coating on the nanoparticle, the surface coating consisting of the labile organo-chalcogen
wherein X is Zn, Cd, Hg, Ni, Co, Mn or Fe and Y is S and/or Se, and
wherein the primary chalcogen precursor comprises Se when the X precursor comprises Zn.

2. A process as recited in claim 1 , wherein the copper precursor is an acetate, an acetylacetonate or a chloride.

3. A process as recited in claim 1 , wherein the X precursor is an acetate, an acetylacetonate, a chloride or a stearate.

4. A process as recited in claim 1 , wherein the X precursor is zinc(II) acetate.

5. A process as recited in claim 1 , wherein the X precursor is cadmium(II) acetate.

6. A process as recited in claim 1 , wherein the X precursor is iron(II) acetylacetonate.

7. A process as recited in claim 1 , wherein the X precursor is iron(III) acetylacetonate.

8. A process as recited in claim 1 , wherein the tin precursor is a chloride.

9. A process as recited in claim 1 , wherein the solvent is dichloromethane.

10. A process as recited in claim 1 , wherein the tin precursor is tin(IV) acetate, tin(IV) bis(acetylacetonate) dichloride, or triphenyl(trimethyl) tin.

11. A process as recited in claim 1 , wherein the solvent is a non-coordinating solvent.

12. A process as recited in claim 1 , wherein the solvent is 1-octadecene or a heat transfer fluid.

13. A process as recited in claim 1 , wherein reacting comprises mixing the copper precursor, X precursor, tin precursor and labile organo-chalcogen in a solvent at a first temperature not greater than 50° C. and then heating the solvent to a second temperature for a first time interval.

14. A process as recited in claim 13 , wherein the first time interval is about 1 hour.

15. A process as recited in claim 1 , wherein the second temperature is between 180° C. and 300° C.

16. A process as recited in claim 1 , wherein the second temperature is between 220° C. and 240° C.

17. A process as recited in claim 1 , wherein the labile organo-chalcogen comprises 1-octanethiol, 1-dodecanethiol, t-dodecanethiol, 2-naphthalenethiol, 1-octane selenol or 1-dodecane selenol.

18. A process as recited in claim 1 , further comprising the addition of a secondary chalcogen precursor.

19. A process as recited in claim 18 , wherein the secondary chalcogen precursor is trioctylphosphine sulphide or trioctylphosphine selenide.

20. A process as recited in claim 1 , wherein reacting comprises mixing the copper precursor, X precursor, tin precursor and labile organo-chalcogen in a solvent at a first temperature not greater than 50° C. to form a mixture, heating the mixture to a second temperature to remove the solvent, and heating the remainder of the mixture to a third temperature.

Assignees

• Nanoco Technologies Ltd
• Nanoco Technologies Ltd

Inventors

• Gresty Nathalie
• Harris James
• Masala Ombretta
• Pickett Nigel
• Wylde Laura
• Newman Christopher

Classifications

• C01B19/002

  Compounds containing, besides selenium or tellurium, more than one other element, with -O- and -OH not being considered as anions · CPC title

• H01B1/12

  organic substances {(organic macromolecular compounds or compositions C08)} · CPC title

• H01B1/06

  mainly consisting of other non-metallic substances · CPC title

• C01G19/006

  Compounds containing tin, with or without oxygen or hydrogen, and containing two or more other elements · CPC title

• C01P2002/88

  by thermal analysis data, e.g. TGA, DTA, DSC · CPC title