Abstract
Copper selenide (Cu x Se) has great potential as counter electrode for quantum dots sensitized solar cell (QDSSC) due to its excellent electrocatalytic activity and lower charge transfer resistance. A novel ion exchange method has been utilized to fabricate Cu3Se2 nanosheets array counter electrode. CdS layer was first deposited by sputtering and used as a template to grow compact and uniform Cu3Se2 film in a typical chemical bath. The morphology and thickness of the Cu3Se2 nanosheets were controlled by the deposition time. The final products (2h-Cu3Se2) showed significantly improved electrochemical catalytic activity and carrier transport property, leading to a much increased power conversion efficiency (4.01%) when compared with the CuS counter electrode CdS/CdSe QDSSC (3.21%).
摘要
硒化铜(Cu x Se)凭借优良的电催化活性和较低的电荷转移电阻, 在量子点敏化太阳电池(QDSSC)对电极方面表现出了巨大的潜力. 本研究采用一种新的离子交换方法制备了Cu3Se2纳米片阵列. 通过溅射沉积CdS层作为模板, 在化学浴中生长出均匀和高覆盖度的Cu3Se2薄膜, Cu3Se2纳米片的形貌和厚度由沉积时间控制, 最终产物(2h-Cu3Se2)显著改善了电化学催化活性和载流子传输性能, 相比较于CuS为对电极的CdS / CdSe量子点敏化太阳能电池, 其光伏性能由3.21%提升至4.01%.
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Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51374029 and 51611130063), Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (FRF-BD-16-012A), and 111 Project (B17003).
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Author contributions Bai H wrote this manuscript under the guidance of Cao G and Tian J. All authors contributed to the general discussion.
Conflict of interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Huiwen Bai is currently pursuing her Master degree in the University of Science and Technology Beijing. Her research is focused on the synthesis of quantum dots and counter electrode materials for QDSCs.
Guozhong Cao is a Boeing Steiner Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Professor of Chemical Engineering, and Adjunct Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Washington. He has published over 400 papers, 8 books and 4 proceedings. His recent research is mainly focused on solar cells, lithium-ion batteries, supercapacitors, and hydrogen storage.
Jianjun Tian is a professor in Advanced Material and Technology Institute, University of Science and Technology Beijing. His current research is focused on QDSCs and perovskite solar cells.
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Bai, H., Shen, T., Wang, S. et al. Controlled growth of Cu3Se2 nanosheets array counter electrode for quantum dots sensitized solar cell through ion exchange. Sci. China Mater. 60, 637–645 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40843-017-9037-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40843-017-9037-1