Lead Antimony Sulfide Semiconductor-Sensitized Solar Cells

Abstract

We present a new, rare in nature, ternary semiconductor sensitizer, Pb5Sb8S17, for solar cells. Pb5Sb8S17 nanoparticles were synthesized on nanoporous TiO2 electrodes using a two-stage successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction process. Post-deposition annealing transformed the two-stage film into the Pb5Sb8S17 phase. The Pb5Sb8S17-coated TiO2 electrodes were assembled into liquid-junction semiconductor-sensitized solar cells. The best cell yielded a short-circuit current density of 11.04mA/cm2, an open-circuit voltage of 0.45V, a fill factor of 39.1% and a power conversion efficiency η of 1.94% under AM 1.5, 100 mW/cm2 light illumination. The external quantum efficiency (EQE) spectrum covered the spectral range of 350–750nm with a maximal EQE of ∼54% at λ=575nm. At a reduced light intensity of 0.118 sun, the η increased to 2.51%, a respectable value for a new sensitizer.