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Turnbull MJ, Yiu YM, Goldman M, Sham TK, Ding Z. Favorable Bonding and Band Structures of Cu 2ZnSnS 4 and CdS Films and Their Photovoltaic Interfaces. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:32683-32695. [PMID: 35817012 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c06892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Thin-film photovoltaic cells using Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS, p-type) have many advantages, such as high photoconversion, low cost, and great tunability with earth-abundant, nontoxic elements, all of which are necessary to be long-term contributors to next-generation solar energy harvesting. Accurate measurements of bonding and band structures of both the thin-film materials and their interfaces are paramount to designing the solar devices layer-by-layer. Here, finely tuned 1 μm thick CZTS films, 50 nm thick CdS layers (n-type), and their 1 μm/2 nm p-n junction were fabricated inexpensively using our previously studied methods and investigated extensively for maximizing the key interface in the CZTS solar devices. Synthesized bulk CZTS and CdS were analyzed for structural deviations and crystal defects using synchrotron-based (SR) X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) along with simulated XAFS patterns. The structural properties of the two materials were designed to favor photovoltaic activity. Interface valence band structures of the CZTS/CdS p-n junction were measured through SR X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (SR-XPS) and compared with the ones simulated using density functional theory. A full band diagram was constructed from XPS of the bulk films and SR-XPS of the interface, providing guidelines in optimizing charge-carrier extraction from the CZTS absorber to CdS buffer layer. It turns out that a small spike-like interface in the conduction band overlap was formed, maintaining a strong internal bias, while favoring a small energy barrier to prevent large-scale recombination from occurring. A large open-circuit voltage was obtained in the preliminary solar cell devices built on the small spike-like interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Turnbull
- Department of Chemistry and Soochow University-Western University Centre for Synchrotron Radiation Research, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Yun Mui Yiu
- Department of Chemistry and Soochow University-Western University Centre for Synchrotron Radiation Research, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Maxwell Goldman
- Department of Chemistry and Soochow University-Western University Centre for Synchrotron Radiation Research, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Tsun-Kong Sham
- Department of Chemistry and Soochow University-Western University Centre for Synchrotron Radiation Research, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Zhifeng Ding
- Department of Chemistry and Soochow University-Western University Centre for Synchrotron Radiation Research, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada
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Wang X, Vaccarello D, Turnbull MJ, Ding Z. Benign fabrication of low-cost Cu2ZnSnS4 films for photovoltaic cells. Catal Today 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cattod.2021.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Ning X, Lu B, Zhang Z, Du P, Ren H, Shan D, Chen J, Gao Y, Lu X. An Efficient Strategy for Boosting Photogenerated Charge Separation by Using Porphyrins as Interfacial Charge Mediators. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019; 58:16800-16805. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.201908833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xingming Ning
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular OptoelectronicsDepartment of ChemistrySchool of ScienceTianjin University Tianjin 300072 P. R. China
| | - Bingzhang Lu
- Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryUniversity of California 1156 High Street Santa Cruz CA 95064 USA
| | - Zhen Zhang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular OptoelectronicsDepartment of ChemistrySchool of ScienceTianjin University Tianjin 300072 P. R. China
| | - Peiyao Du
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular OptoelectronicsDepartment of ChemistrySchool of ScienceTianjin University Tianjin 300072 P. R. China
| | - Hongxia Ren
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular OptoelectronicsDepartment of ChemistrySchool of ScienceTianjin University Tianjin 300072 P. R. China
| | - Duoliang Shan
- Key Laboratory of Bioelectrochemistry and Environmental Analysis of Gansu ProvinceCollege of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringNorthwest Normal University Lanzhou 730070 P. R. China
| | - Jing Chen
- Key Laboratory of Bioelectrochemistry and Environmental Analysis of Gansu ProvinceCollege of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringNorthwest Normal University Lanzhou 730070 P. R. China
| | - Yunjing Gao
- Key Laboratory of Bioelectrochemistry and Environmental Analysis of Gansu ProvinceCollege of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringNorthwest Normal University Lanzhou 730070 P. R. China
| | - Xiaoquan Lu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular OptoelectronicsDepartment of ChemistrySchool of ScienceTianjin University Tianjin 300072 P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Bioelectrochemistry and Environmental Analysis of Gansu ProvinceCollege of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringNorthwest Normal University Lanzhou 730070 P. R. China
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Ning X, Lu B, Zhang Z, Du P, Ren H, Shan D, Chen J, Gao Y, Lu X. An Efficient Strategy for Boosting Photogenerated Charge Separation by Using Porphyrins as Interfacial Charge Mediators. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201908833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xingming Ning
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular OptoelectronicsDepartment of ChemistrySchool of ScienceTianjin University Tianjin 300072 P. R. China
| | - Bingzhang Lu
- Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryUniversity of California 1156 High Street Santa Cruz CA 95064 USA
| | - Zhen Zhang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular OptoelectronicsDepartment of ChemistrySchool of ScienceTianjin University Tianjin 300072 P. R. China
| | - Peiyao Du
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular OptoelectronicsDepartment of ChemistrySchool of ScienceTianjin University Tianjin 300072 P. R. China
| | - Hongxia Ren
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular OptoelectronicsDepartment of ChemistrySchool of ScienceTianjin University Tianjin 300072 P. R. China
| | - Duoliang Shan
- Key Laboratory of Bioelectrochemistry and Environmental Analysis of Gansu ProvinceCollege of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringNorthwest Normal University Lanzhou 730070 P. R. China
| | - Jing Chen
- Key Laboratory of Bioelectrochemistry and Environmental Analysis of Gansu ProvinceCollege of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringNorthwest Normal University Lanzhou 730070 P. R. China
| | - Yunjing Gao
- Key Laboratory of Bioelectrochemistry and Environmental Analysis of Gansu ProvinceCollege of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringNorthwest Normal University Lanzhou 730070 P. R. China
| | - Xiaoquan Lu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular OptoelectronicsDepartment of ChemistrySchool of ScienceTianjin University Tianjin 300072 P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Bioelectrochemistry and Environmental Analysis of Gansu ProvinceCollege of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringNorthwest Normal University Lanzhou 730070 P. R. China
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Stroyuk O, Raevskaya A, Selyshchev O, Dzhagan V, Gaponik N, Zahn DRT, Eychmüller A. "Green" Aqueous Synthesis and Advanced Spectral Characterization of Size-Selected Cu 2ZnSnS 4 Nanocrystal Inks. Sci Rep 2018; 8:13677. [PMID: 30209288 PMCID: PMC6135749 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-32004-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2018] [Accepted: 08/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Structure, composition, and optical properties of colloidal mercaptoacetate-stabilized Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) nanocrystal inks produced by a "green" method directly in aqueous solutions were characterized. A size-selective precipitation procedure using 2-propanol as a non-solvent allows separating a series of fractions of CZTS nanocrystals with an average size (bandgap) varying from 3 nm (1.72 eV) to 2 nm (2.04 eV). The size-selected CZTS nanocrystals revealed also phonon confinement, with the main phonon mode frequency varying by about 4 cm-1 between 2 nm and 3 nm NCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oleksandr Stroyuk
- Physical Chemistry, TU Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany.
- L.V. Pysarzhevsky Institute of Physical Chemistry, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, 03028, Ukraine.
| | - Alexandra Raevskaya
- Physical Chemistry, TU Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany
- L.V. Pysarzhevsky Institute of Physical Chemistry, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, 03028, Ukraine
| | - Oleksandr Selyshchev
- Semiconductor Physics, Chemnitz University of Technology, 09107, Chemnitz, Germany
| | - Volodymyr Dzhagan
- V. E. Lashkaryov Institute of Semiconductors Physics, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, 03028, Ukraine
| | | | - Dietrich R T Zahn
- Semiconductor Physics, Chemnitz University of Technology, 09107, Chemnitz, Germany
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Stroyuk O, Raevskaya A, Gaponik N. Solar light harvesting with multinary metal chalcogenide nanocrystals. Chem Soc Rev 2018; 47:5354-5422. [PMID: 29799031 DOI: 10.1039/c8cs00029h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The paper reviews the state of the art in the synthesis of multinary (ternary, quaternary and more complex) metal chalcogenide nanocrystals (NCs) and their applications as a light absorbing or an auxiliary component of light-harvesting systems. This includes solid-state and liquid-junction solar cells and photocatalytic/photoelectrochemical systems designed for the conversion of solar light into the electric current or the accumulation of solar energy in the form of products of various chemical reactions. The review discusses general aspects of the light absorption and photophysical properties of multinary metal chalcogenide NCs, the modern state of the synthetic strategies applied to produce the multinary metal chalcogenide NCs and related nanoheterostructures, and recent achievements in the metal chalcogenide NC-based solar cells and the photocatalytic/photoelectrochemical systems. The review is concluded by an outlook with a critical discussion of the most promising ways and challenging aspects of further progress in the metal chalcogenide NC-based solar photovoltaics and photochemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oleksandr Stroyuk
- L.V. Pysarzhevsky Institute of Physical Chemistry, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 03028 Kyiv, Ukraine.
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Turnbull MJ, Vaccarello D, Wong J, Yiu YM, Sham TK, Ding Z. Probing the CZTS/CdS heterojunction utilizing photoelectrochemistry and x-ray absorption spectroscopy. J Chem Phys 2018; 148:134702. [PMID: 29626909 DOI: 10.1063/1.5016351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The importance of renewable resources is becoming more and more influential on research due to the depletion of fossil fuels. Cost-effective ways of harvesting solar energy should also be at the forefront of these investigations. Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) solar cells are well within the frame of these goals, and a thorough understanding of how they are made and processed synthetically is crucial. The CZTS/CdS heterojunction was examined using photoelectrochemistry and synchrotron radiation (SR) spectroscopy. These tools provided physical insights into this interface that was formed by the electrophoretic deposition of CZTS nanocrystals and chemical bath deposition (CBD) of CdS for the respective films. It was discovered that CBD induced a change in the local and long range environment of the Zn in the CZTS lattice, which was detrimental to the photoresponse. X-ray absorption near-edge structures and extended X-ray absorption fine structures (EXAFSs) of the junction showed that this change was at an atomic level and was associated with the coordination of oxygen to zinc. This was confirmed through FEFF fitting of the EXAFS and through IR spectroscopy. It was found that this change in both photoresponse and the Zn coordination can be reversed with the use of low temperature annealing. Investigating CZTS through SR techniques provides detailed structural information of minor changes from the zinc perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Turnbull
- Department of Chemistry and Soochow University-Western University Centre for Synchrotron Radiation Research, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Daniel Vaccarello
- Department of Chemistry and Soochow University-Western University Centre for Synchrotron Radiation Research, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Jonathan Wong
- Department of Chemistry and Soochow University-Western University Centre for Synchrotron Radiation Research, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Yun Mui Yiu
- Department of Chemistry and Soochow University-Western University Centre for Synchrotron Radiation Research, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Tsun-Kong Sham
- Department of Chemistry and Soochow University-Western University Centre for Synchrotron Radiation Research, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Zhifeng Ding
- Department of Chemistry and Soochow University-Western University Centre for Synchrotron Radiation Research, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada
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Patel SB, Patel AH, Gohel JV. A novel and cost effective CZTS hole transport material applied in perovskite solar cells. CrystEngComm 2018. [DOI: 10.1039/c8ce01337c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
CZTS nano-particles are synthesized under ambient condition and applied as low-cost and sustainable inorganic HTM in Perovskite solar cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siddhant B. Patel
- Department of Chemical Engineering
- Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology
- Surat 395007
- India
| | - Amar H. Patel
- Department of Chemical Engineering
- Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology
- Surat 395007
- India
| | - Jignasa V. Gohel
- Department of Chemical Engineering
- Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology
- Surat 395007
- India
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Turnbull MJ, Vaccarello D, Yiu YM, Sham TK, Ding Z. Identifying barriers to charge-carriers in the bulk and surface regions of Cu 2ZnSnS 4 nanocrystal films by x-ray absorption fine structures (XAFSs). J Chem Phys 2016; 145:204702. [PMID: 27908128 DOI: 10.1063/1.4967863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Solar cell performance is most affected by the quality of the light absorber layer. For thin-film devices, this becomes a two-fold problem of maintaining a low-cost design with well-ordered nanocrystal (NC) structure. The use of Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) NCs as the light absorber films forms an ideal low-cost design, but the quaternary structure makes it difficult to maintain a well-ordered layer without the use of high-temperature treatments. There is little understanding of how CZTS NC structures affect the photoconversion efficiency, the charge-carriers, and therefore the performance of the device manufactured from it. To examine these relationships, the measured photoresponse from the photo-generation of charge-carrier electron-hole pairs was compared against the crystal structure, as short-range and long-range crystal orders for the films. The photoresponse simplifies the electronic properties into three basic steps that can be associated with changes in energy levels within the band structure. These changes result in the formation of barriers to charge-carrier flow. The extent of these barriers was determined using synchrotron-based X-ray absorbance fine structure to probe the individual metal centers in the film, and comparing these to molecular simulations of the ideal extended x-ray absorbance fine structure scattering. This allowed for the quantification of bond lengths, and thus an interpretation of the distortions in the crystal lattice. The various characteristics of the photoresponse were then correlated to the crystallographic order and used to gain physical insight into barriers to charge-carriers in the bulk and surface regions of CZTS films.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Turnbull
- Department of Chemistry and Soochow University-Western, University Centre for Synchrotron Radiation Research, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Daniel Vaccarello
- Department of Chemistry and Soochow University-Western, University Centre for Synchrotron Radiation Research, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Yun Mui Yiu
- Department of Chemistry and Soochow University-Western, University Centre for Synchrotron Radiation Research, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Tsun-Kong Sham
- Department of Chemistry and Soochow University-Western, University Centre for Synchrotron Radiation Research, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Zhifeng Ding
- Department of Chemistry and Soochow University-Western, University Centre for Synchrotron Radiation Research, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada
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Nguyen TH, Fujikawa S, Harada T, Chantana J, Minemoto T, Nakanishi S, Ikeda S. Impact of Precursor Compositions on the Structural and Photovoltaic Properties of Spray-Deposited Cu2 ZnSnS4 Thin Films. CHEMSUSCHEM 2016; 9:2414-2420. [PMID: 27514989 DOI: 10.1002/cssc.201600641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Pure sulfide Cu2 ZnSnS4 thin films were fabricated on Mo-coated glass substrates by facile spray deposition of aqueous precursor solutions containing Cu(NO3 )2 , Zn(NO3 )2 , Sn(CH3 SO3 )2 , and thiourea followed by annealing at 600 °C. When a precursor solution containing a stoichiometric composition of Cu, Zn, and Sn was used, the resulting Cu2 ZnSnS4 thin film contained a Cu2-x S impurity phase owing to the evaporation of Sn components during the annealing process. The Cu2-x S impurity in the Cu2 ZnSnS4 thin film was removed by reducing the concentration of Cu in the precursor solution. This resulted in an improvement of the structural features (i.e., grain sizes and compactness) as well as the electric properties such as acceptor densities, the nature of the acceptor defects, and carrier lifetimes. A solar cell based on the Cu2 ZnSnS4 film with an empirically optimal composition showed conversion efficiency of 8.1 %. The value achieved was one of the best efficiencies of Cu2 ZnSnS4 -based cells derived from a non-vacuum process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thi Hiep Nguyen
- Research Center for Solar Energy Chemistry, Osaka University, 1-3 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-8531, Japan
| | - Shotaro Fujikawa
- Research Center for Solar Energy Chemistry, Osaka University, 1-3 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-8531, Japan
| | - Takashi Harada
- Research Center for Solar Energy Chemistry, Osaka University, 1-3 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-8531, Japan
| | - Jakapan Chantana
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Nojihigashi, Kusatsu, Shiga, 525-8577, Japan
| | - Takashi Minemoto
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Nojihigashi, Kusatsu, Shiga, 525-8577, Japan
| | - Shuji Nakanishi
- Research Center for Solar Energy Chemistry, Osaka University, 1-3 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-8531, Japan
| | - Shigeru Ikeda
- Department of Chemistry, Konan University, 9-1 Okamoto, Higashinada, Kobe, Hyogo, 658-8501, Japan.
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