Ze-Liang Hou

Surfactant-Free CuInS2 Nanocrystals: An Alternative Counter-Electrode Material for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Surfactant-free CuInS2 (CIS) nanocrystals (NCs) were synthesized by replacing organic capping ligands with inorganic ions S(2-). The efficacy of ligand exchange was probed by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-vis spectroscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR). The surfactant-free CIS NCs films were obtained by drop-casting onto the clean FTO glass. The electrical conductivity and electrocatalytic activity of CIS NCs films were sharply increased due to the improved interparticle coupling after ligand exchange. When the surfactant-free CIS films were used as counter electrode (CE) in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), a conversion efficiency of η = 5.77% was achieved without sintering.

Enhanced Performance of Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells Using Solution‐Based In Situ Synthesis and Fabrication of Cu2ZnSnSe4 Nanocrystal Counter Electrode

On the bright side: A solution-based strategy was developed for in situ synthesis and film deposition of Cu2ZnSnSe4 nanocrystal films (samples a-d). The obtained Cu2ZnSnSe4 nanocrystal films can be used as an effective counter-electrode (CE) material to replace Pt, and yield low-cost, high-efficiency dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The assembled solar cell devices exhibit an efficiency of 7.82 % under 1 sun irradiation (see figure).

CuInS2 quantum dot-sensitized TiO2 nanorod array photoelectrodes: synthesis and performance optimization

CuInS2 quantum dots (QDs) were deposited onto TiO2 nanorod arrays for different cycles by using successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method. The effect of SILAR cycles on the light absorption and photoelectrochemical properties of the sensitized photoelectrodes was studied. With optimization of CuInS2 SILAR cycles and introduction of In2S3 buffer layer, quantum dot-sensitized solar cells assembled with 3-μm thick TiO2 nanorod film exhibited a short-circuit current density (Isc) of 4.51 mA cm−2, an open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 0.56 V, a fill factor (FF) of 0.41, and a power conversion efficiency (η) of 1.06%, respectively. This study indicates that SILAR process is a very promising strategy for preparing directly anchored semiconductor QDs on TiO2 nanorod surface in a straightforward but controllable way without any complicated fabrication procedures and introduction of a linker molecule.