Abstract:In this article, pure and 2 M% dysprosium (Dy)-doped α-MoO3 nanobelts have been successfully synthesised by the autoclave assisted-hydrothermal method. The x-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns revealed that the nanobelts were crystalline in nature with an orthorhombic structure. The sharp and narrow XRD peaks divulged the high quality with good crystallinity of the nanobelts. The intensity of the peak (040) increased and shifted towards lower 2θ values which reflected the successful incorporation of Dy in MoO3 mat… Show more
“…Furthermore, their sizes calculated by Debye–Scherrer's formula are also quite similar. 25 The sizes of T1, T2 and T3 are 5.72 nm, 5.57 nm and 6.59 nm respectively. With this, we also conclude that anatase phase and lower calcination temperature result in small crystallite sizes as reported in our previous study.…”
“…Furthermore, their sizes calculated by Debye–Scherrer's formula are also quite similar. 25 The sizes of T1, T2 and T3 are 5.72 nm, 5.57 nm and 6.59 nm respectively. With this, we also conclude that anatase phase and lower calcination temperature result in small crystallite sizes as reported in our previous study.…”
“…Using Deby Scherrer’s formula [ 23 ], the crystallite sizes of pure P3HT:PCBM and P3HT:PCBM:Nb mix films were determined using the full width at half maximum (FWHM) value of the (100) plane. According to Scherrer’s formula, the mean crystallite size (D) is 15.34, 16.57, 21.55, 27.53, and 31.65 nm for films made with pure and varied Nb nanoparticle concentrations of 2, 4, 6 and 8 mg/mL, respectively, which is in good agreement with previous works [ 24 , 25 ].…”
Metal additive processing in polymer: fullerene bulk heterojunction systems is recognized as a viable way for improving polymer photovoltage performance. In this study, the effect of niobium (Nb) metal nanoparticles at concentrations of 2, 4, 6, and 8 mg/mL on poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT)-6,6]-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) blends was analyzed. The effect of Nb volume concentration on polymer crystallinity, optical properties, and surface structure of P3HT and PCBM, as well as the enhancement of the performance of P3HT:PC61BM solar cells, are investigated. Absorption of the P3HT:PC61BM mix is seen to have a high intensity and a red shift at 500 nm. The reduction in PL intensity with increasing Nb doping concentrations indicates an increase in PL quenching, suggesting that the domain size of P3HT or conjugation length increases. With a high Nb concentration, crystallinity, material composition, surface roughness, and phase separation are enhanced. Nb enhances PCBM’s solubility in P3HT and decreases the size of amorphous P3HT domains. Based on the J–V characteristics and the optoelectronic study of the thin films, the improvement results from a decreased recombination current, changes in morphology and crystallinity, and an increase in the effective exciton lifespan. At high doping concentrations of Nb nanoparticles, the development of the short-circuit current (JSC) is associated with alterations in the crystalline structure of P3HT. The highest-performing glass/ITO/PEDOT:PSS/P3HT:PCBM:Nb/MoO3/Au structures have short-circuit current densities (JSC) of 16.86 mA/cm2, open-circuit voltages (VOC) of 466 mV, fill factors (FF) of 65.73%, and power conversion efficiency (µ) of 5.16%.
“…The very accurate XRD measurements were performed with the CALSA analyser on a diffracted beam, which allows the registration of XRD patterns in Cu Ka1 radiation (λ = 1.5405929 Å). The size of the crystallites was calculated using the graphical Halder-Wagner method 24 , 25 implemented in the PDXL software.…”
Improving the performance of kesterite solar cells requires high-quality, defect-free CZTS(Se) films with a reduced number of secondary phases and impurities. Post-annealing of the CZTS films at high temperatures in a sulfur or selenium atmosphere is commonly used to improve the quality of the absorbing material. However, annealing at high-temperatures can promote material decomposition, mainly due to the loss of volatile elements such as tin or sulfur. In this work, we investigate how the additional step of sulfurization at reduced temperatures affects the quality and performance of CZTSSe based solar cells. A comprehensive structural analysis using conventional and high resolution XRD as well as Raman spectroscopy revealed that the highest CZTSSe material quality with the lowest structural disorder and defect densities was obtained from the CZTS films pre-sulfurized at 420 °C. Furthermore, we demonstrate the possibility of using Sb2Se3 as a buffer layer in the superstrate configuration of CZTSSe solar cells, which is possible alternative to replace commonly employed toxic CdS as a buffer layer. We show that the additional low-temperature selenization process and the successful use of Sb2Se3 as a buffer layer could improve the performance of CZTSSe-based solar cells by up to 3.48%, with an average efficiency of 3.1%.
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