How Transparent Oxides Gain Some Color: Discovery of a CeNiO₃ Reduced Bandgap Phase As an Absorber for Photovoltaics

Abstract

In this work, we describe the formation of a reduced bandgap CeNiO phase, which, to our knowledge, has not been previously reported, and we show how it is utilized as an absorber layer in a photovoltaic cell. The CeNiO phase is prepared by a combinatorial materials science approach, where a library containing a continuous compositional spread of Ce NiO is formed by pulsed laser deposition (PLD); a method that has not been used in the past to form Ce-Ni-O materials. The library displays a reduced bandgap throughout, calculated to be 1.48-1.77 eV, compared to the starting materials, CeO and NiO, which each have a bandgap of ∼3.3 eV. The materials library is further analyzed by X-ray diffraction to determine a new crystalline phase. By searching and comparing to the Materials Project database, the reduced bandgap CeNiO phase is realized. The CeNiO reduced bandgap phase is implemented as the absorber layer in a solar cell and photovoltages up to 550 mV are achieved. The solar cells are also measured by surface photovoltage spectroscopy, which shows that the source of the photovoltaic activity is the reduced bandgap CeNiO phase, making it a viable material for solar energy.

Porous CeNiO3 with an enhanced electrochemical performance and prolonged cycle life (>50 000 cycles) via a lemon-assisted sol–gel autocombustion method

“…The peak at 28.691 originates from the CeO 2 . 35,39 The XRD patterns of all the samples correspond to the orthorhombic perovskite oxide structure of CNO with the Pnma space group, which is in good accordance with the Materials Project data and reported references. 35,38 Morphology and elemental composition XPS analysis was carried out for the surface elemental composition as well as to determine the variable oxidation states of the cations.…”

“…The peak at 28.69° originates from the CeO 2 . 35,39 The XRD patterns of all the samples correspond to the orthorhombic perovskite oxide structure of CNO with the Pnma space group, which is in good accordance with the Materials Project data and reported references. 35,38…”

Functional Oxides for Photoneuromorphic Engineering: Toward a Solar Brain

“…Although CeO 2 and NiO are both wide bandgap oxides (~3.3 eV), their alloys form oxides with an optical bandgap. In this sense, Barad et al [297] investigated the Ce-Ni-O system by a combinatorial material science approach. They identified and implemented the CeNiO 3 reduced bandgap phase (1.48-1.77 eV) as the absorber layer in a solar cell where photovoltages of up to 550 mV were achieved.…”

Synergistic impacts of sonolysis aided photocatalytic degradation of water pollutant over perovskite-type CeNiO3nanospheres

“…A coating strategy or deposition at elevated temperature may lead to the novel Ce–Ni–O phase formation. 45 CeNiO 3 (CNO) perovskite or Ce–Ni–O phase composites are found to be beneficial in a variety of application domains, which include supercapacitors, syn -gas production, photocatalyst for water purification, CO oxidation, and hydrogen production via water splitting. 46–50…”