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Metal chalcogenide copper sulfide nanoparticles exhibit a broad spectrum of applications, encompassing solar cells, photovoltaics, optical devices, ionic materials and more. In this investigation, CuS nanoparticles were synthesized through a facile co-precipitation method. The synthesis involved employing copper sulfate and thiourea as precursors for Cu and S, respectively. Quantitative analysis, confirming the presence of Cu–S and S–S bonds, was conducted through Raman spectroscopy. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was employed to ascertain the structural phases. The semiconducting behavior of the synthesized CuS nanoparticles was studied through UV–Vis spectroscopy, correlating optical absorption and energy bandgap. The comprehensive findings suggest that the prepared CuS nanoparticles hold promise for advancements in photovoltaic technology and optical devices.

With the help of the SCAPS simulation program, this study investigates the possible buffer layer in copper zinc tin sulfide (CZTS)/zinc oxide (ZnO) thin-film solar cells. The tin sulfide (SnS${}_2)$ and cadmium sulfide (CdS) are taken into consideration. Based on electronic band structure analysis, SnS₂ exhibits a more favorable alignment of the conduction band than CZTS, which minimizes the barrier to energy transfer. SnS₂ buffer layer showed enhanced carrier generation because of its higher absorption coefficient. Quantum efficiency plots highlighted SnS₂’s superior performance in the 400–800nm range, where CZTS strongly absorbs. The ${\mathrm{\text{SnS}}}_2$ buffer layer solar cell exhibited a larger J–V curve area, driven by a higher short-circuit current density ($J_{\mathrm{\text{sc}}}$.) of 24.27mA/cm² compared to 23.69mA/cm² for CdS, achieving an impressive 15.71% efficiency versus 15.35% for CdS. Because of improved band alignment, enhanced charge generation and higher quantum efficiency, ${\mathrm{\text{SnS}}}_2$ is proving to be a promising buffer layer for high-efficiency CZTS solar cells.