Polyamide-thallium selenide composite materials via temperature and pH controlled adsorption-diffusion method.

Composite materials based on III-VI elements are promising in designing efficient photoelectronic devices, such as thin film org.-inorg. solar cells. In this work, TlSe composite materials were synthesized on a model polymer polyamide using temp. and pH controlled adsorption-diffusion method via selenization followed by the exposure to the group III metal (Tl) salt soln. and their surface morphol., chem. and cryst. phase information was detd. with particular focus on their corresponding structure-optical property relationship. XRD anal. yielded a complex cryst. phase distribution which correlated well with the optical and surface morphol. properties measured. pH 11.3 and 80° yielded well defined, low structural disorder composite material surface. After annealing in N2 at 100°, polycryst. PA-TlxSey composite materials yielded a single TlSe phase due to the enhanced diffusion and reaction of thallium ions into the polymer. The method described here can be used to synthesize variety of binary III-VI compds. diffused into the polymer at relatively low temps. and low overall cost, thus providing for a flexible synthesis route for novel composite solar energy harvesting materials. [on SciFinder(R)]