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Antimony selenide (Sb2Se3) emerges as a promising sunlight absorber in thin film photovoltaic applications due to its excellent light absorption properties and carrier transport behavior, attributed to the quasi‐one‐dimensional Sb4Se6‐nanoribbon crystal structure. Overcoming the challenge of aligning Sb2Se3‐nanoribbons normal to substrates for efficient photogenerated carrier extraction, a solution‐processed nanocrystalline Sb2(S,Se)3‐seeds are employed on the CdS buffer layer. These seeds facilitate superstrated Sb2Se3thin film solar cell growth through a close‐space sublimation approach. The Sb2(S,Se)3‐seeds guided the Sb2Se3absorber growth along a [002]‐preferred crystal orientation, ensuring a smoother interface with the CdS window layer. Remarkably, Sb2(S,Se)3‐seeds improve carrier transport, reduce series resistance, and increase charge recombination resistance, resulting in an enhanced power conversion efficiency of 7.52%. This cost‐effective solution‐processed seeds planting approach holds promise for advancing chalcogenide‐based thin film solar cells in large‐scale manufacturing.
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Scalable Core–Shell MoS 2 /Sb 2 Se 3 Nanorod Array Photocathodes for Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting
Photoelectrochemical (PEC) hydrogen generation is a promising solar energy harvesting technique to address the concerns about the ongoing energy crisis. Antimony selenide (Sb2Se3) with van der Waals‐bonded quasi‐1D (Q1D) nanoribbons, for instance, (Sb4Se6)n, has attracted considerable interest as a light absorber with Earth‐abundant elements, suitable bandgap, and a desired sunlight absorption coefficient. By tuning its anisotropic growth behavior, it is possible to achieve Sb2Se3films with nanostructured morphologies that can improve the light absorption and photogenerated charge carrier separation, eventually boosting the PEC water‐splitting performance. Herein, high‐quality Sb2Se3films with nanorod (NR) array surface morphologies are synthesized by a low‐cost, high‐yield, and scalable close‐spaced sublimation technique. By sputtering a nonprecious and scalable crystalline molybdenum sulfide (MoS2) film as a cocatalyst and a protective layer on Sb2Se3NR arrays, the fabricated core–shell structured MoS2/Sb2Se3NR PEC devices can achieve a photocurrent density as high as −10 mA cm−2at 0 VRHEin a buffered near‐neutral solution (pH 6.5) under a standard simulated air mass 1.5 solar illumination. The scalable manufacturing of nanostructured MoS2/Sb2Se3NR array thin‐film photocathode electrodes for efficient PEC water splitting to generate solar fuel is demonstrated.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1844210
- PAR ID:
- 10123627
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Solar RRL
- Volume:
- 4
- Issue:
- 3
- ISSN:
- 2367-198X
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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