Cellulose acetate assisted synthesis and characterization of kesterite quaternary semiconductor Cu₂ZnSnS₄ mesoporous fibers by an electrospinning process

Quaternary kesterite-type Cu₂ZnSnS₄ (CZTS) mesoporous fibers for low-cost thin film solar cells were successfully synthesized by a relatively simple electrospinning process. Semiconductor CZTS mesoporous fibers were obtained from CA/CZTS precursor after annealing treatment at 450 °C for 3 h. CZTS mesoporous fibers were characterized using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The optical properties of the CZTS mesoporous fibers were also recorded by UV-vis absorption spectroscopy. The results showed that the synthesized CZTS mesoporous fibers had a single phase, good crystallinity and a stoichiometric composition. Moreover, the prepared mesoporous fibers had a size ranging from 200-500 nm and a band gap of 1.46 eV, which demonstrates that they are suitable for use in a thin film solar cell light absorption material.