PbS quantum dots prepared by pulsed laser deposition for photovoltaic applications and ligand effects on device performance

Abstract

In this research, PbS quantum dots (QDs) were assembled directly on ternary metal oxide nanowires by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) for photovoltaic applications, which avoided the difficult ligand exchange processing needed in typical colloidal synthesis processes. Different ligands including oleic acid, oleylamine, and 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) were used to cap the PbS QDs after PLD deposition, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to characterize their coverage. The ligand effect on solar cell performance was also investigated, and it was found that the device treated with oleic acid exhibited a significantly improved performance. © 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.