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Green synthesis of nickel oxide hole transport layer via aloe vera extract-assisted sol-gel process

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Abstract

In perovskite solar cells (PSCs), the instability concern and complex synthesis process of organic hole transport layers (HTL) have led researchers to focus on widely available inorganic NiOx as an effective alternative. Herein, an eco-friendly and cost-effective green synthesis method has been implemented to fabricate the NiOx thin film using aloe vera (AV) leaf extract as a complexing agent and the effect of different calcination temperatures (300 °C, 400 °C and 500 °C) on the film’s properties have been thoroughly studied. XRD analysis has shown improved crystallinity in the films that were calcined at higher temperatures. Both Raman spectroscopy and EDX analysis have revealed the presence of low carbon content in all deposited thin films. The film calcined at 300 °C has shown the most favorable morphology that has been confirmed from the FESEM images. The band gap of the films has been shifted from 3.83 eV to 3.73 eV as the calcination temperature increased. Upon electrical characterizations, the film calcined at 500 °C has demonstrated the highest hole mobility (20.3 cm²/Vs). The results from numerical simulation have indicated that the PSC employing the NiOx HTL calcined at 500 °C exhibits the highest PCE, Voc and FF values of 16.04%, 1.70 V and 67.35%, respectively, while the film calcined at 300 °C results the highest Jsc (14.95 mA/cm²).

Highlights

  • Green sol-gel synthesis of NiOx thin film with aloe vera extract.

  • Effect of calcination temperatures on optoelectronic properties.

  • Film fabricated at 300 °C shows the best morphology.

  • Numerical simulation with green synthesised NiOx HTL gives 16.04% efficiency.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia (UKM) for financial support through the SRF – APP MIMOS UKM grant (RS-2021-003). The authors also extend their appreciation to the Researchers Supporting Project number (RSPD2024R597), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. We also gratefully acknowledge Dr Marc Burgelman, University of Gent, Belgium, for providing the SCAPS- 1D simulation software.

Author contributions

MdAI: Writing—Original Draft, Software, Investigation. VS: Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing—Reviewing and Editing. PC: Formal analysis, Software, Visualization. Md MH: Validation, Investigation. MM: Writing—Reviewing and Editing. IAA: Validation. MRK: Visualization. MAI: Visualization, Editing. TS: Resources. MdA: Supervision, Writing—Reviewing and Editing.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Solar Energy Research Institute, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, 43600, Malaysia

    Md. Ariful Islam, Puvaneswaran Chelvanathan, Md Mahfuzul Haque, M. Mottakin & Mohd Adib Ibrahim

  2. Institute of Sustainable Energy, Universiti Tenaga Nasional, Jalan Ikram-Uniten, Kajang, 43000, Selangor, Malaysia

    Vidhya Selvanathan

  3. Department of Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University, Gopalganj, 8100, Bangladesh

    M. Mottakin

  4. Mechanical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11421, Saudi Arabia

    Ibrahim A. Alnaser & Mohammad Rezaul Karim

  5. Institute of Pure and Applied Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8573, Japan

    Takashi Suemasu & Md. Akhtaruzzaman

  6. Graduate School of Pure and Applied Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 305–8573, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan

    Md. Akhtaruzzaman

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  1. Md. Ariful Islam
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Islam, M.A., Selvanathan, V., Chelvanathan, P. et al. Green synthesis of nickel oxide hole transport layer via aloe vera extract-assisted sol-gel process. J Sol-Gel Sci Technol 109, 580–593 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-023-06296-3

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