Ligand-Tuned AgBiS<sub>2</sub> Planar Heterojunctions Enable Efficient Ultrathin Solar Cells.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 39601045.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1021/acsnano.4c07621 and PMC identifier 11636261.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
AgBiS<sub>2</sub> quantum dots (ABS QDs) have emerged as highly promising candidates for photovoltaic applications due to their strong sunlight absorption, nontoxicity, and elemental availability. Nevertheless, the efficiencies of ABS solar cells currently fall far short of their thermodynamic limits due in large part to sluggish charge transport characteristics in nanocrystal-derived films. In this study, we overcome this limitation by tuning the surfaces of ABS semiconductor QDs via a solvent-induced ligand exchange (SILE) strategy and provide key insights into the role of surface composition on both <i>n</i>- and <i>p</i>-type charge transfer doping, as well as long-range charge transport. Using this approach, the electronic properties of ABS films were systematically modulated, thereby enabling the design of planar <i>p</i>-<i>n</i> heterojunctions featuring favorable band alignment for solar cell applications. Carrier transport and separation are significantly enhanced by the built-in electric fields generated within the ultrathin (30 nm) ABS heterojunction absorber layers, resulting in a notable solar-cell power conversion efficiency of 7.43%. Overall, this study presents a systematic and straightforward strategy to tune not only the surfaces of ABS, but also the electronic properties of solid-state films, thereby enabling junction engineering for the development of advanced semiconductor structures tailored for photovoltaic applications.