Solution-processed Cu2XSnS4 (X = Fe, Co, Ni) photo-electrochemical and thin film solar cells on vertically grown ZnO nanorod arrays

Anima Ghosh; Dhirendra K. Chaudhary; Amrita Biswas; Rajalingam Thangavel; G. Udayabhanu

doi:10.1039/C6RA24149B

Solution-processed Cu₂XSnS₄ (X = Fe, Co, Ni) photo-electrochemical and thin film solar cells on vertically grown ZnO nanorod arrays†

Anima Ghosh,^ad Dhirendra K. Chaudhary,^b Amrita Biswas,^c Rajalingam Thangavel*^a and G. Udayabhanu^c

* Corresponding authors

^a Solar Energy Research Laboratory, Department of Applied Physics, Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad-826004, India
E-mail: rthangavel@gmail.com, thangavel.r.ap@ismdhanbad.ac.in

^b Molecular Electronics Research Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Allahabad, Allahabad-211004, India

^c Department of Applied Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad-826004, India

^d University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute, Shanghai-200240, China

Abstract

This article presents the photo-electrochemical and photovoltaic performances of solution processed Cu₂XSnS₄ (X = Fe, Co, Ni) thin films on ZnS coated vertically aligned ZnO nanorod (NR) arrays for the first time. The optical, structural and electrical properties of all the synthesized structures were investigated using various characterization techniques. The electrocatalytic activities of the superstrate structures were characterized by taking cyclic voltammetry (CV) measurements and performing electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analyses. Furthermore, the photovoltaic performances of the devices with architecture ITO/ZnO-NR's/ZnS/Cu₂XSnS₄/Au were investigated under AM 1.5 illumination condition. The thin film solar cells with Cu₂FeSnS₄ (CFTS), Cu₂CoSnS₄ (CCTS) and Cu₂NiSnS₄ (CNTS) photoactive layers exhibited power conversion efficiency (PCE) values of 2.73%, 3.23% and 2.71% respectively. All the devices exhibit good electrochemical as well as photovoltaic performance under illuminations and have shown potential to fabricate nontoxic solution processed high efficient devices.

Supplementary files

Article information

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/C6RA24149B
Article type: Paper
Submitted: 28 Sep 2016
Accepted: 01 Dec 2016
First published: 01 Dec 2016

Download Citation

RSC Adv., 2016,6, 115204-115212

Permissions

Request permissions

Solution-processed Cu₂XSnS₄ (X = Fe, Co, Ni) photo-electrochemical and thin film solar cells on vertically grown ZnO nanorod arrays

A. Ghosh, D. K. Chaudhary, A. Biswas, R. Thangavel and G. Udayabhanu, RSC Adv., 2016, 6, 115204 DOI: 10.1039/C6RA24149B

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

RSC Advances

Solution-processed Cu₂XSnS₄ (X = Fe, Co, Ni) photo-electrochemical and thin film solar cells on vertically grown ZnO nanorod arrays†

Abstract

Associated articles

Supplementary files

Article information

Download Citation

Permissions

Solution-processed Cu₂XSnS₄ (X = Fe, Co, Ni) photo-electrochemical and thin film solar cells on vertically grown ZnO nanorod arrays

Social activity

Search articles by author

Spotlight

Advertisements

RSC Advances