H3PO4 treated surface modified CuS counter electrodes with high electrocatalytic activity for enhancing photovoltaic performance of quantum dot-sensitized solar cells

Abstract

Herein we report a simple synthetic strategy to prepare highly efficient and surface modified CuS counter electrodes (CEs) for quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs) in the presence of phosphoric acid (H3PO4) using the chemical bath deposition method. This is the first report of successful treatment of H3PO4 on the surface of CuS CEs for designing a high-performance QDSSCs with improved photovoltaic properties. After optimization, the 4 ml H3PO4 treated CuS CE-based QDSSC exhibits excellent photovoltaic performance with a conversion efficiency (η) of 4.20% (Voc = 0.592 V, Jsc = 13.35 mA cm−2, FF = 0.532) under one full-sun illumination (100 mW cm−2, AM 1.5 G).