Francis Kofi Ampong
Department of PhysicsPhysical SciencesSocial Sciences

Francis Kofi Ampong

38 Publications17 Research Themes23 Open Access
Research Overview & Focus

The researcher's research is centered on the intersection of advanced materials science and energy applications, particularly in photovoltaic and photocatalytic systems. Their work explores the use of thin films, especially chalcogenide-based ones, to develop novel sensors and bioleaching techniques. Key areas include: 1. **Advanced Photovoltaic and photocatalysis**: The researcher investigates thin film materials for water degradation, focusing on adsorption and antimicrobial applications. 2. **Sensors and Bioremediation**: They leverage nanocomposites and chitosan to create functional materials with high selectivity for analyte detection. 3. **Chalcogenide Thin Films**: Contributions include the synthesis of CdSe, CdS, and their blends, which are critical in developing energy storage solutions for rural communities. 4. **Energy and Environment**: Research emphasizes reducing environmental impacts through solar and biofuel technologies, aiming to empower rural areas with renewable solutions. The researcher's work demonstrates a commitment to innovation across nanotechnology, photocatalysis, and bioremediation, with applications that enhance sustainability in rural settings.

Faculty Biography

Prof. Francis Kofi Ampong is an Associate Professor at the Department of Physics of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi.  His current research involves the preparation and characterization of some inorganic nano-materials and studies of their opto-electronic properties for applications as solar cell materials.From 2010-2012, Francis was an Academic visitor (Research Fellow) to the School of Chemistry, University of Manchester, UK, where he worked under the supervision of  Prof. Paul O’Brien, FRS, to synthesize Cadmium-Zinc-Sulphide thin films from acidic chemical baths for photovoltaic applications.  This was a collaborative research work between KNUST and the school of Chemistry, University of Manchester, UK, and funded by the Leverhulme – Royal Society Africa Award, under the project titled: “Developing Internationally Competitive research on Solar Cell Materials at KNUST”.Prof. Ampong has supervised over fifty undergraduate final year projects. He has also supervised eight MPhil students, supervised/ Co-supervised five PhD students which include two foreign students funded by the European Union African-Caribbean-Pacific PhD mobility award scheme and one student funded by the Royal Society DFID grant. Prof Ampong’s research work have been published in prestigious international journals, such as; Solid State Sciences, Thin Film Science, Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Letters, to mention a few. Most of the papers provide interesting contributions in Solar Cell Materials Development. Some of the works have been cited and carry extremely high citations.

Key Research Themes (17)
Physical Sciences

Adsorption and biosorption for pollutant removal

Physical Sciences

Advanced Photocatalysis Techniques

Physical Sciences

Chalcogenide Semiconductor Thin Films

Physical Sciences

Copper Interconnects and Reliability

Physical Sciences

Electrochemical sensors and biosensors

Physical Sciences

Energy and Environment Impacts

Social Sciences

Innovation and Socioeconomic Development

Physical Sciences

Magnetic Properties and Applications

Physical Sciences

Magnetic properties of thin films

Physical Sciences

Metal and Thin Film Mechanics

Physical Sciences

Metal Extraction and Bioleaching

Physical Sciences

Microbial Fuel Cells and Bioremediation

Physical Sciences

Phase-change materials and chalcogenides

Physical Sciences

Quantum Dots Synthesis And Properties

Physical Sciences

Vanadium and Halogenation Chemistry

Physical Sciences

Zeolite Catalysis and Synthesis

Physical Sciences

ZnO doping and properties

Publications (38)

Synthesis and characterization of Cd1-xPbxSe (0≤x≤1) thin films deposited by chemical bath for photovoltaic application

Open Access
2025Chalcogenide Semiconductor Thin FilmsDOI: 10.15251/cl.2025.227.603

A New Approach of Obtaining Sodium Metasilicate from Dealuminated Kaolin for The Synthesis of Amorphous Silicon Dioxide Nanoparticles

Open Access
2025Zeolite Catalysis and SynthesisDOI: 10.26565/2312-4334-2025-2-38

Gd-doped ZnO-g-C3N4 nanocomposite: a novel photocatalyst for the photodegradation of eosin yellow dye in water

Open Access
2025Advanced Photocatalysis TechniquesDOI: 10.1007/s42452-025-06759-y

The influence of cobalt and graphitic carbon nitride on the efficiency of zirconium oxide for photodegradation of an organic dye in wastewater

Open Access
2025Advanced Photocatalysis TechniquesDOI: 10.1177/17475198251316376

Gadolinium doped-zirconium oxide-graphitic carbon nitride heterostructures for photocatalytic degradation of eosin yellow dye in water

Open Access
2024Advanced Photocatalysis TechniquesDOI: 10.1016/j.nxmate.2024.100424

Core-shell V2O5- Gum ghatti grafted poly (acrylamide-co-methacrylic acid) adsorbent for the removal of methylene blue dye in water: Kinetic, equilibrium and thermodynamic studies

Open Access
2024Adsorption and biosorption for pollutant removalDOI: 10.1016/j.nxsust.2024.100069

INVESTIGATION AND V-I CHARACTERISTICS OF SUBSTRATE FOR MFC: CASE STUDY OF RAW HONEY

Open Access
2024Microbial Fuel Cells and BioremediationDOI: 10.15446/mo.n68.110493

The effect of cobalt-doped ZnO-g-C3N4 heterostructures on photocatalytic degradation of eosin yellow dye in water under simulated solar light

Open Access
2023Advanced Photocatalysis TechniquesDOI: 10.1016/j.rinma.2023.100515

Synthesis of Pure and Manganese Doped Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles by a Solution Growth Technique: Structural and Optical Investigation

Open Access
2023ZnO doping and propertiesDOI: 10.26565/2312-4334-2023-4-13

The effect of the concentration of tin (Sn) in the metallic precursor, on the structure, morphology, optical and electrical properties of electrochemically deposited lead-tin-sulphide (PbSnS) thin films

Open Access
2023Chalcogenide Semiconductor Thin FilmsDOI: 10.15251/cl.2023.206.399

The CZTS Thin Films Grown by Sulfurization of Electrodeposited Metallic Precursors: The Effect of Increasing Tin Content of the Metallic Precursors on the Structure, Morphology and Optical Properties of the Thin Films

Open Access
2023Chalcogenide Semiconductor Thin FilmsDOI: 10.26565/2312-4334-2023-2-28

Zero Valent Iron Impregnated Sodium Alginate Grafted (Acrylamide-Co-Acrylic Acid) Adsorbents for the Removal of Methylene Blue in Aqueous Systems

2023Adsorption and biosorption for pollutant removalDOI: 10.1080/00222348.2023.2211376

Determining the majority charge carrier, optical and structural properties of electrochemically deposited lead tin sulfide (PbSnS) thin films

Open Access
2023Chalcogenide Semiconductor Thin FilmsDOI: 10.15251/cl.2023.203.205

Removal of Methyl red in aqueous systems using synthesized NaAlg-g-CHIT/nZVI adsorbent

Open Access
2022Adsorption and biosorption for pollutant removalDOI: 10.1016/j.sciaf.2022.e01273

Chitosan-Graft-Sodium Alginate Encapsulated Vanadium Pentoxide (V2 O5 ) Nanocomposite for Adsorption and Antimicrobial Studies

Open Access
2021Vanadium and Halogenation ChemistryDOI: 10.33425/2771-666x.1006

Copper-tin-sulphide (CTS) thin films, obtained by a two-electrode electrochemical deposition of metal precursors, followed by soft annealing and sulfurization

Open Access
2021Chalcogenide Semiconductor Thin FilmsDOI: 10.15251/cl.2021.188.481

Iron Sulfide Functionalized Polyaniline Nanocomposite for the Removal of Eosin Y from Water: Equilibrium and Kinetic Studies

2021Electrochemical sensors and biosensorsDOI: 10.1134/s1560090421030040

EFFECT OF ANNEALING ON THE STRUCTURE AND OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF LEAD SELENIDE AND CADMIUM SELENIDE THIN FILM PREPARED BY CHEMICAL BATH DEPOSITION

Open Access
2021Chalcogenide Semiconductor Thin FilmsDOI: 10.15251/cl.2021.182.81

The Effect of Deposition Time and Sulfurization Temperature on The Optical and Structural Properties of Iron Sulfide Thin Films Deposited from Acidic Chemical Baths

Open Access
2020Metal Extraction and BioleachingDOI: 10.25271/sjuoz.2020.8.3.752

Solubility of Mn in ZnO Crystallites Synthesized Using Solid State Techniques

Open Access
2020ZnO doping and propertiesDOI: 10.21467/anr.3.1.28-39

FeS Encapsulated Chitosan Graft Polyacrylamide Nanocomposite for the Uptake of Model Anionic Eosin Y from Water: Isotherm, Kinetics and Equilibrium Studies.

Open Access
2020Adsorption and biosorption for pollutant removalDOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-30309/v1

Solubility of Mn in ZnO Nanocrystallites using Wet Chemical Synthesis

Open Access
2019ZnO doping and propertiesDOI: 10.21467/anr.2.1.53-61

Growth of a Pure and Single Phase Iron Sulfide (Pyrite) Thin Film by Electrochemical Deposition for Photovoltaic Applications

Open Access
2019Metal Extraction and BioleachingDOI: 10.4236/ojapps.2019.99059

Optical and Structural Properties of Chemical Bath Deposited Cadmium Sulphur Selenide (CdS1–xSex (0 ≤ x ≤ 1)) Thin Films

Open Access
2019Chalcogenide Semiconductor Thin FilmsDOI: 10.4236/ojapps.2019.911064

Preparation of cadmium zinc sulfide (Cd1−xZnxS) thin films from acidic chemical baths

2018Quantum Dots Synthesis And PropertiesDOI: 10.1016/j.tsf.2018.09.011

Indirect phase transition of refractory nitrides compounds of: TiN, ZrN and HfN crystal structures

2017Metal and Thin Film MechanicsDOI: 10.1016/j.commatsci.2017.04.038

A New Route for the Synthesis of CdS Thin Films from Acidic Chemical Baths

2017Chalcogenide Semiconductor Thin FilmsDOI: 10.18576/ijtfst/060203

Start-up factory Ghana: Creating an enabling environment for the dissemination of renewable energies

2017Innovation and Socioeconomic Development

An Automated Solar-Biomass Hybrid Dryer System for Rural Communities in Ghana

2017Energy and Environment ImpactsDOI: 10.18086/swc.2017.26.10

Band gap engineering in lead sulphur selenide (PbS1−x Se x ) thin films synthesized by chemical bath deposition method

2016Chalcogenide Semiconductor Thin FilmsDOI: 10.1007/s10854-016-5874-6

Effect of deposition temperature on the structural, morphological and optical band gap of lead selenide thin films synthesized by chemical bath deposition method

2016Quantum Dots Synthesis And PropertiesDOI: 10.1016/j.matchemphys.2016.08.034

The effect of deposition time on the structural, morphological and optical band gap of lead selenide thin films synthesized by chemical bath deposition method

2015Quantum Dots Synthesis And PropertiesDOI: 10.1016/j.matlet.2015.04.074

Synthesis and Characterization of CdSe Nanocrystalline Thin Film by Chemical Bath Deposition Technique

2015Quantum Dots Synthesis And Properties

Ternary cadmium zinc sulphide films with high charge mobilities

2014Quantum Dots Synthesis And PropertiesDOI: 10.1016/j.solidstatesciences.2014.12.013

Conduction Mechanism in Amorphous As2S3

2012Phase-change materials and chalcogenides

The low temperature resistivity of thermally evaporated antiferromagnetic Mn_{100-X} Ru_x thin films

Open Access
2011Magnetic Properties and ApplicationsDOI: 10.3906/fiz-1001-7

The anomalous low temperature resistivity of thermally evaporated α-Mn thin film

2010Copper Interconnects and ReliabilityDOI: 10.1016/j.jmmm.2010.02.017

Effect of substrate temperatures on the electrical resistivity of thermally evaporated Mn thin films

2007Magnetic properties of thin filmsDOI: 10.1016/j.cryogenics.2006.11.001
Academic Metrics
DepartmentDepartment of Physics
Total Publications38
Research Themes17
Open Access Papers23

Department of Physics

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

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