COPPER-BASED SEMICONDUCTOR NANOSTRUCTURES: SYNTHESIS, PROPERTIES AND APPLICATIONS

Abstract

Semiconductor nanomaterials, with their unique and technologically useful properties, have been generating continued interest in the scientific community for over three decades. This thesis presents studies on nanomaterials of various Cu-based semiconductors, which are highly regarded as suitable non-toxic alternatives to Cd- and Pb-based semiconductors. A one-pot synthetic strategy that involves the thermal decomposition of metal dithiocarbamate complex precursors was employed in the preparation of these Cu-based semiconductor nanomaterials. Their optical properties and charge carrier transport phenomenon have been investigated by photoluminescence and ultrafast spectroscopy. These Cu-based semiconductor nanomaterials also been used in the studies of visible light induced photocatalytic dye degradation and found to display promising photocatalytic behavior.