Christopher Exstrom
Professor
Department of Chemistry, BHS 405D
University of Nebraska at Kearney
905 W. 25th Street
Kearney, Nebraska 66849-1150
Phone: (308) 865-8565
E-mail: exstromc@unk.edu
Christopher Exstrom's Chemistry Web
Current Research
Professors Christopher Exstrom and Scott Darveau lead the UNK Solar Energy and Nanoscience Research Group (SENRG) which is active in the development and study of new nanocrystalline semiconductor materials. Much of our effort focuses on solvent-based preparations of nanocrystalline CuIn1-xMxSe2 (M = Ga, Al, B) materials with potential applications in high-efficiency photovoltaic solar cells. The use of solvent in these preparations is an attractive, low-cost alternative to the existing high-vacuum techniques commonly employed in the solar cell industry. Efforts to maximize product compositional and structural control while minimizing reaction system cost and complexity have resulted in previously unreported nanocrystalline materials and preparation techniques. At UNK, our lab equipment and capabilities include a physical vapor deposition apparatus used for solid-state reactions and annealing, single-gun magnetron sputtering for substrate preparation, micro-Raman spectroscopy, ICP-OES for elemental analysis, and infrared and UV-vis spectroscopy for bandgap measurements. In collaboration with UNL colleagues, our material products are also characterized by XRD and SEM.
Recent Publications
J. Olejníček, C.A. Kamler, A. Mirasano, A.L. Martinez-Skinner, M.A. Ingersoll, C.L. Exstrom, S.A. Darveau, J.L. Huguenin-Love, M. Diaz, N.J. Ianno, R.J. Soukup, "A Non-vacuum Process for Preparing Nanocrystalline CuIn1-xGaxSe2 Materials Involving an Open-air Solvothermal Reaction", Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, in press (2009), available online, 
doi:10.1016/j.solmat.2009.03.024.
C.L. Exstrom, J. Olejníček, S.A. Darveau, A. Mirasano, D.S. Paprocki, M.L. Schliefert, M.A. Ingersoll, L.E. Slaymaker, R.J. Soukup, N.J. Ianno, C.A. Kamler, "Solvothermal Preparation, Processing, and Characterization of Nanocrystalline CuIn1-xAlxSe2 Materials", Materials Research Symposium Proceedings,accepted for publication (2009).
C.A. Kamler, R.J. Soukup, N.J. Ianno, J.L. Huguenin-Love, J. Olejníček, S.A. Darveau, C.L. Exstrom, "Thin Films Formed by Selenization of CuInxB1-x Precursors in Se Vapor", Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 93, 45-50 (2009).
N.J. Ianno, R.J. Soukup, T. Santero, C.A. Kamler, J.L. Huguenin-Love, S.A. Darveau, J. Olejníček, C.L. Exstrom, "Copper-Indium-Boron-Diselenide Absorber Materials", Materials Research Symposium Proceedings,1012, Y03-21 (2007).
Recent Graduates and Current Affiliations
(NOTE: The UNK Department of Chemistry has undergraduate programs only.)
- A.L. Martinez-Skinner- graduate school, UNMC
- N. Ota- graduate school, University of Illinois
- R.N. Udey- graduate school, Michigan State University
CIAS SEM 
Reaction Set-Up
