The synthesis and characterization of a hexanuclear copper–yttrium complex for deposition of semiconducting CuYO2–0.5Cu2O composite thin films

Sohail Ahmed; Muhammad Adil Mansoor; Wan Jefrey Basirun; Mehran Sookhakian; Nay Ming Huang; Lo Kong Mun; Tilo Söhnel; Zainudin Arifin; Muhammad Mazhar

doi:10.1039/C4NJ01602E

The synthesis and characterization of a hexanuclear copper–yttrium complex for deposition of semiconducting CuYO₂–0.5Cu₂O composite thin films†

Sohail Ahmed,^a Muhammad Adil Mansoor,^a Wan Jefrey Basirun,^ab Mehran Sookhakian,^c Nay Ming Huang,^c Lo Kong Mun,^a Tilo Söhnel,^de Zainudin Arifin^a and Muhammad Mazhar*^a

Author affiliations

* Corresponding authors

^a Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
E-mail: mazhar42pk@yahoo.com
Tel: +60 379674269

^b Institute of Nanotechnology and Catalysis (NanoCat), Institute of Postgraduate Studies, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

^c Low Dimensional Materials Research Centre, Department of Physics, University of Malaya, Faculty of Science, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia

^d School of Chemical Sciences, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand

^e Centre for Theoretical Chemistry and Physics, The New Zealand Institute for Advanced Study, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand

Abstract

The copper–yttrium hexanuclear complex [Cu₄Y₂(dmae)₆(OAc)_7.85(OH)_0.15(H₂O)₂]·2CH₃C₆H₅ (1) (where dmae = dimethylaminoethanoato, OAc = acetato) has been synthesized and characterized by its melting point, elemental analysis, and FT-IR, thermogravimetric/differential thermogravimetric (TG/DTG) and single crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. The complex crystallizes in the triclinic space group P [1 with combining macron] with cell parameters a = 9.4934(3) Å, b = 13.2045(4) Å, c = 14.6990(5) Å, α = 76.486(2)°, β = 85.811(2)° and γ = 83.394(2)°. A thin film of a CuYO₂–0.5Cu₂O composite has been deposited on a FTO glass substrate by implementation of the complex (1) at 400 °C under an argon atmosphere via aerosol assisted chemical vapour deposition (AACVD). XRPD, SEM and EDX analyses reveal the formation of impurity-free crystalline mixtures of the CuYO₂–0.5Cu₂O composite with well-defined evenly distributed rods of Cu₂O in the size range of 0.85–1.05 μm and granules of CuYO₂ in the size range of 110–125 nm. UV-Vis spectrophotometric measurements and photoelectrochemical (PEC) results show an optical band gap energy of 2.6 eV and a photocurrent density of 81 μA cm⁻² under illumination using a 150 W halogen lamp at a potential of 1.0 V vs. SCE.

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Article information

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/C4NJ01602E
Article type: Paper
Submitted: 23 Sep 2014
Accepted: 11 Nov 2014
First published: 12 Nov 2014

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New J. Chem., 2015,39, 1031-1037

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The synthesis and characterization of a hexanuclear copper–yttrium complex for deposition of semiconducting CuYO₂–0.5Cu₂O composite thin films

S. Ahmed, M. A. Mansoor, W. J. Basirun, M. Sookhakian, N. M. Huang, L. K. Mun, T. Söhnel, Z. Arifin and M. Mazhar, New J. Chem., 2015, 39, 1031 DOI: 10.1039/C4NJ01602E

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