Highly enhanced photocurrent of novel quantum-dot-co-sensitized PbS-Hg/CdS/Cu:ZnO thin films for photoelectrochemical applications
Abstract
A novel quantum-dot-co-sensitized PbS-Hg/CdS/Cu:ZnO thin films synthesized by low-cost process. The properties of ZnO are also enhanced by doping and co-doping. It is also compared with quantum-dot co-sensitization. Optical properties, crystal structure, morphology, and photocurrent are characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, XRD, SEM, and solar simulator, respectively. The bandgap is interestingly reduced highly to 2.6 eV for Ag co-doped Cu:ZnO. It is unprecedentedly reduced to 2.1 eV and even 1.97 eV for CdS and PbS-Hg QD-sensitized thin films, respectively. An exceptionally enhanced photocurrent of 17.1 mA/cm2 is achieved with PbS-Hg-co-sensitized CdS-sensitized Cu:ZnO thin film. This is an excellent achievement, which highly supports the potential of low-cost solar conversion.
- Publication:
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Applied Physics A: Materials Science & Processing
- Pub Date:
- August 2017
- DOI:
- 10.1007/s00339-017-1116-x
- Bibcode:
- 2017ApPhA.123..506G