Enhancing photovoltaic performance of photoelectrochemical solar cells with nano-sized ultra thin Sb2S3-sensitized layers in photoactive electrodes

Abstract

Sb2S3-sensitized photoelectrochemical solar cells were prepared with photoactive electrodes containing thick and thin Sb2S3-sensitized layers, polyaniline hole conductor containing little amount of de-ionized water, and Pt counter electrodes. The device with the thin Sb2S3-sensitized layer shows much higher power conversion efficiency (3.78 %) than that of the device with the thick Sb2S3-sensitized layer (0.88 %). The FESEM and TEM images reveal that the device with the thin Sb2S3-sensitized layer is nanostructure, as that of the traditional quantum dot sensitized solar cell, while the device with the thick Sb2S3-sensitized layer is flat configuration. The photoactive electrode with the thin Sb2S3-sensitized layer shows higher light absorption, lower charge transfer resistance and longer electron lifetime compared with that of the one with the thick Sb2S3-sensitized layer, which results in higher photocurrent generation of the device.