Influence of Sulfurization Time on SbS Synthesis Using a New Graphite Box Design.

In recent years, antimony sulfide (SbS) has been investigated as a photovoltaic absorber material due to its suitable absorber coefficient, direct band gap, extinction coefficient, earth-abundant, and environmentally friendly constituents. Therefore, this work proposes SbS film preparation by an effective two-step process using a new graphite box design and sulfur distribution, which has a high repeatability level and can be scalable. First, an Sb thin film was deposited using the RF-Sputtering technique, and after that, the samples were annealed with elemental sulfur into a graphite box, varying the sulfurization time from 20 to 50 min.

A Study on exfoliation of Expanded Graphite Stacks in Candelilla Wax.

A novel, green route for pre-exfoliation of graphite based on a biodegradable polymer and high-power ultrasound is presented. Candelilla wax (CW), derived from the leaves of the candelilla plant, has been used for the first time as a natural non aqueous medium to induce the pre-exfoliation of expanded graphite (EG) under ultrasonic irradiation in an economical way. The proposed method uses also D-limonene as a natural organic solvent for reducing viscosity and increasing the affinity between the polar groups of EG and candelilla wax, thus improving the intercalation/exfoliation of EG.