One-Pot Synthesis of Cu₂ZnSnSe₄ Nanoplates and their Visible-Light-Driven Photocatalytic Activity

A SeO₂ ethanol solution as the facile precursor has been used for the preparation of quaternary Cu₂ZnSnSe₄ (CZTSe) nanoplates. Monodispersed single-phase CZTSe nanoplates have been prepared successfully by a facile one-pot thermal chemical method. The as-prepared CZTSe nanoplates show uniform morphology with a bandgap of ~ 1.4 eV. As a proof of concept, the CZTSe nanoplates have been used as a visible-light-driven photocatalyst for Rhodamine B dye degradation and show high photocatalytic activity and stability. The excellent dye removal is mainly ascribed to the efficient light utilization of CZTSe nanoplates.