Nanobelt-carbon nanotube cross-junction solar cells

作者:Shi, Enzheng*; Nie, Jingqi; Qin, Xiaojun; Li, Zhongjun; Zhang, Luhui; Li, Zhen; Li, Peixu; Jia, Yi; Ji, Chunyan; Wei, Jinquan; Wang, Kunlin; Zhu, Hongwei; Wu, Dehai; Li, Yan; Fang, Ying; Qian, Weizhong; Wei, Fei; Cao, Anyuan
来源:Energy & Environmental Science, 2012, 5(3): 6119-6125.
DOI:10.1039/c2ee03409c

摘要

Nanostructures such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and semiconducting nanowires are promising candidates for developing next-generation photovoltaics. Here, we report solar cells using individual single-walled or double-walled CNTs and CdSe nanobelts arranged in simple cross-junction configurations. The CNT and CdSe nanobelts form reliable line contacts at their intersections, resulting in efficient heterojunction solar cells with power conversion efficiencies up to 1.87% and stable performance in air over long periods. Both semiconducting and metallic CNTs can form solar cells with CdSe nanobelts, with similar open-circuit voltages but different short-circuit current densities. We can integrate multiple CNTs in parallel with a single nanobelt to construct an array of cross-junction solar cells simultaneously, with scaled current output, indicating the possibility of parallel device connection and large-scale production. Our results show the potential of utilizing one-dimensional nanostructures to design and fabricate high performance photovoltaic devices with well-defined and scalable structures.