Antimony selenide is an emerging promising thin film photovoltaic material thanks to its binary composition, suitable bandgap, high absorption coefficient, inert grain boundaries and earth-abundant constituents. However, current devices produced from rapid thermal evaporation strategy suffer from low-quality film and unsatisfactory performance. Herein, we develop a vapor transport deposition technique to fabricate antimony selenide films, a technique that enables continuous and low-cost manufacturing of cadmium telluride solar cells. We improve the crystallinity of antimony selenide films and then successfully produce superstrate cadmium sulfide/antimony selenide solar cells with a certified power conversion efficiency of 7.6%, a net 2% improvement over previous 5.6% record of the same device configuration. We analyze the deep defects in antimony selenide solar cells, and find that the density of the dominant deep defects is reduced by one order of magnitude using vapor transport deposition process.

Power generated from sustainable and environmentally benign solar cell technologies is one of the key aspects in the development of clean renewable energy. Earth-abundant and non-toxic materials with suitable bandgap and absorption coefficient for photovoltaic application have drawn considerable attention in the last few decades. Here we examine Sb 2 S 3 , an emerging thin film solar cell technology that also has exciting opportunities for Si-based tandem solar cell application. We conduct a systematic analysis of Sb 2 S 3-based photovoltaic devices, highlighting major advancements and most prominent limitations of this technology. This study also encompasses device performance simulation, providing a roadmap for further Sb 2 S 3 technology development.

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CuSCN suppresses the back surface recombination and induces grain boundary inversion through Cu diffusion to achieve 7.5% n–i–p Sb2Se3 solar cells.

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Functionalized superparamagnetic nanoparticles (Nps) are among the most investigated research topics. In this study, we present an efficient protocol for gold deposition onto the surface of cobalt ferrite (CoFe 2 O 4 ) Nps by a simple one-pot reduction of AuCl 4 − ions with amino acid methionine, which, in turn, produces the biocompatible stabilizing shell. In contrast to previously reported gold deposition recipes, the one suggested herein is distinguished by the simplicity and prevention of monogold crystallite nucleation and growth in the deposition solution bulk. To demonstrate the preferential deposition of gold onto the surface of ferrite Nps, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and Fourriertransformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) investigations have been performed. The innovative gold deposition method is expected to open new horizons for the design of biocompatible water dispersible gold/methionine-functionalized ferrite nanoparticles by a simply controllable way.

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