Influence of Plasmonic Cu x S Interfacing Layer on Photovoltaic Performance of CIZS Quantum Dot Sensitized Solar Cells

Abstract

© 2019 by the Authors. Charge transfer at the semiconductor/electrolyte interface is an important process that dictates the efficiency of quantum dots solar cells. Hole transfer kinetics remains a sluggish reaction for metal chalcogenide electrodes. In this work we examine the beneficial effect of CuxS nanoparticles on the photoelectrochemical performance of Cu-In-Zn-S (CIZS) quantum dots sensitized solar cells as they promote hole transfer to the S2-/Sn2-redox couple. CuxS nanoparticles if deposited without a protecting layer undergo compositional transformation in sulfur rich electrolytes. Addition of a protecting ZnS layer improves the stability and efficiency of the resulting solar cells. Establishing the hole transport property of CuxS in solar cell offers new ways to improve photovoltaic performance of QDSSC.