Syntheses of Cu2SnS3 and Cu2ZnSnS4 nanoparticles with tunable Zn/Sn ratios under multibubble sonoluminescence conditions.

Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) nanoparticles were synthesized by sonochemical reactions under multibubble sonoluminescence (MBSL) conditions. First, Cu2SnS3 (CTS) nanoparticles were synthesized by the sonochemical method with a 91.3% yield.

Lone pairs as chemical scissors in new antimony oxychlorides, Sb2ZnO3Cl2 and Sb16Cd8O25Cl14.

Two new metal antimony oxychlorides, Sb(2)ZnO(3)Cl(2) and Sb(16)Cd(8)O(25)Cl(14), have been synthesized by solid-state reactions using Sb(2)O(3) and ZnCl(2) (or CdCl(2)) as reagents. The structures of Sb(2)ZnO(3)Cl(2) and Sb(16)Cd(8)O(25)Cl(14) have been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Both of the reported materials contain Sb(3+) cations that are in an asymmetric coordination environment attributable to their stereoactive lone pair.

New inorganic helical chain: synthesis, structure, characterization, and interconversion of BaGa2O2(OH)4.

A new pseudo-two-dimensional compound, BaGa(2)O(2)(OH)(4), containing pure inorganic helical chains has been synthesized under hydrothermal reaction conditions using Ba(OH)(2).8H(2)O, Ga(2)O(3), and H(2)O as reagents. Further characterizations as well as a reversible transformation reaction to BaGa(2)O(4) and H(2)O are discussed.

Deposition of CuInS2 thin films using copper- and indium/sulfide-containing precursors through a two-stage MOCVD method.

Copper indium disulfide (CuInS2; CIS) films were deposited on various substrates by two-stage metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) at relatively mild conditions, using Cu- and In/S-containing precursors without toxic H2S gas: first, a pure Cu thin film was prepared on glass or indium/tin oxide glass substrates by using a single-source precursor, bis(ethylbutyrylacetato)copper(II) or bis(ethylisobutyrylacetato)copper(II); second, on the resulting Cu film, tris(N,N-ethylbutyldithiocarbamato)indium(III) was treated to produce CIS films by a MOCVD method at 430 degrees C. In this process, their thicknesses and stoichiometries were found to be elaborately controlled on demand by adjusting the process conditions. The optical band gap of the stoichiometric CIS film was about 1.