Impact of microwave irradiation on the optical properties of copper zinc tin sulfide (Cu₂ZnSnS₄) nanoparticles

The present work explores the optical properties of pure and microwave-irradiated CZTS nanoparticles focusing on absorption, photoluminescence (PL), and CIE chromaticity analyses. Microwave-irradiation notably enhances the optical efficiency of CZTS resulting in enhanced light-absorption characteristics compared to Pure-CZTS. Microwave irradiation notably enhances the optical efficiency of CZTS, resulting in a ∼2 fold increase in Urbach energy (from 22.28 meV to 49.74 meV) and enhanced PL emission intensity, indicating greater structural disorder and improved radiative recombination. The chromaticity coordinates shift slightly from (0.2125, 0.1476) to (0.2227, 0.1436) suggesting emission tuning potential. These improvements demonstrate the potential of irradiated CZTS for optoelectronic applications requiring effective light absorption. The enhanced optical performance of microwave-irradiated CZTS demonstrates its potential as an efficient material for optoelectronic applications, making it a promising material for devices relying on effective light absorption. • Microwave-irradiation enhances optical absorption of CZTS improving photon-capture efficiency in the visible range. • SEM shows irradiated CZTS with compact morphology, reduced grain boundaries, and improved particle interaction. • Enhanced PL emission and chromaticity shift highlight microwave irradiation's role in tuning CZTS for Optoelectronic use. • Increased Urbach energy in irradiated CZTS indicates structural disorder, supporting sub-bandgap photon absorption. • Overall, good efficiency was obtained due to synergistic effects of microwave irradiation.