Lead ethyl dithiocarbamates: efficient single-source precursors to PbS nanocubes

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Solid State Chemistry

Background:

• Lead sulfide (PbS) thin films are crucial for infrared optoelectronics.
• Developing cost-effective and controlled synthesis methods is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate lead ethyl dithiocarbamates as single-source precursors for PbS thin film deposition.
• To characterize the structural, morphological, and optical properties of the synthesized PbS films.

Main Methods:

• Spin coating of lead ethyl dithiocarbamates solution.
• Annealing at moderate temperatures (250–400°C).
• Characterization using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Tauc plots, and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis.

Main Results:

• Formation of face-centred cubic PbS thin films with preferred (200) orientation.
• Observation of well-defined cubic nanostructures via SEM.
• Optical band gaps ranged from 0.72 to 0.77 eV, showing a blue shift from the bulk value.
• Pb:S stoichiometry confirmed to be approximately 1:1.

Conclusions:

• Lead ethyl dithiocarbamates are viable single-source precursors for PbS thin film synthesis.
• Controlled deposition and moderate annealing yield high-quality PbS films with tunable optical properties.
• The synthesized films show potential for optoelectronic device applications.