Iron pyrite thin films synthesized from an Fe(acac)3 ink.

Iron pyrite (cubic FeS2) is a promising candidate absorber material for earth-abundant thin-film solar cells. Here, we report on phase-pure, large-grain, and uniform polycrystalline pyrite films that are fabricated by solution-phase deposition of an iron(III) acetylacetonate molecular ink followed by sequential annealing in air, H2S, and sulfur gas at temperatures up to 550 °C. Phase and elemental compositions of the films are characterized by conventional and synchrotron X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy, secondary ion mass spectrometry, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).

Colloidal iron pyrite (FeS2) nanocrystal inks for thin-film photovoltaics.

Iron pyrite (FeS2) is a promising earth-abundant semiconductor for thin-film solar cells. In this work, phase-pure, single-crystalline, and well-dispersed colloidal FeS2 nanocrystals (NCs) were synthesized in high yield by a simple hot-injection route in octadecylamine and then were subjected to partial ligand exchange with octadecylxanthate to yield stable pyrite NC inks. Polycrystalline pyrite thin films were fabricated by sintering layers of these NCs at 500−600 °C under a sulfur atmosphere.