Arrays of CZTS sensitized ZnO/ZnS and ZnO/ZnSe core/shell nanorods for liquid junction nanowire solar cells

作者：Akram Muhammad Aftab^*; Javed Sofia; Islam Mohammad; Mujahid Mohammad; Safdar Amna

来源：Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 2016, 146: 121-128.

DOI：10.1016/j.solmat.2015.11.034

• CZTS
• ZnO
• Aligned nanorods
• Core/shell structure
• ZnS
• ZnSe
• Liquid junction solar cells

Copper-zinc-tin-sulfide (Cu2ZnSnS4 or CZTS) is an important p-type semiconductor material for solar cell applications. A unique architecture for liquid junction solar cell made of ZnO/Al:ZnO/ZnS or ZnSe/CZTS core/shell vertically aligned nanorods array is reported. Over fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) coated glass, vertically aligned Al-doped zinc oxide nanorods (VANR) were grown over ZnO seed layer. It was followed by surface transformation of ZnO nanorods to ZnS or ZnSe through solubility constant (K-sp) difference induced anion exchange in a S2- or Se2- solution to produce ZnO/ZnS and ZnO/ZnSe core-shell (CS) structures. Separately, CZTS nanoparticles were synthesized from high temperature arrested precipitation and subsequently used for sensitization of ZnO/ZnS CS-VANR nanostructures. Cu2S and polysulfide were employed as counter-electrode and electrolyte respectively for fabrication of liquid junction solar cells. FE-SEM, HRTEM, X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy techniques were employed for microstructural, morphological and compositional characterization of different component materials. The J-V measurements of the solar cell correspond to a several fold higher power conversion efficiency than similar device with thin film multilayer planar configuration involving same amount of materials. The aligned core/shell nanorods configuration offers an increase in the interfacial area by several folds, shorter pathway for charge transport and efficient photon absorption.

• 出版日期2016-3