Highly enhanced photocurrent of novel quantum-dot-co-sensitized PbS–Hg/CdS/Cu:ZnO thin films for photoelectrochemical applications

• Published in: Applied physics. A, Materials science & processing Vol. 123; no. 8; pp. 1 - 12
• Main Authors: Gohel, Jignasa V., Jana, A. K., Singh, Mohit
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.08.2017; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Applied physics; Cadmium sulfide; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Condensed Matter Physics; Crystal structure; Doping; Machines; Manufacturing; Materials science; Nanotechnology; Optical and Electronic Materials; Optical properties; Photoelectric effect; Photoelectric emission; Photovoltaic cells; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Processes; Quantum dots; Silver; Surfaces and Interfaces; Thin Films; Zinc oxide
• ISSN: 0947-8396; 1432-0630
• DOI: 10.1007/s00339-017-1116-x

A novel quantum-dot-co-sensitized PbS–Hg/CdS/Cu:ZnO thin films synthesized by low-cost process. The properties of ZnO are also enhanced by doping and co-doping. It is also compared with quantum-dot co-sensitization. Optical properties, crystal structure, morphology, and photocurrent are characterized by UV–Vis spectroscopy, XRD, SEM, and solar simulator, respectively. The bandgap is interestingly reduced highly to 2.6 eV for Ag co-doped Cu:ZnO. It is unprecedentedly reduced to 2.1 eV and even 1.97 eV for CdS and PbS–Hg QD-sensitized thin films, respectively. An exceptionally enhanced photocurrent of 17.1 mA/cm 2 is achieved with PbS–Hg-co-sensitized CdS-sensitized Cu:ZnO thin film. This is an excellent achievement, which highly supports the potential of low-cost solar conversion.