CuSbS2: a promising semiconductor photo-absorber material for quantum dot sensitized solar cells

Abstract

A facile, low-cost, simple solution-based process for preparing novel promising chalcostibite CuSbS₂ sensitized ZnO nanorod arrays, and the application of these as photoanodes of semiconductor quantum dot sensitized inorganic–organic solar cells (QDSSCs) is reported for the first time. ZnO/CuSbS₂ nanofilms were designed and prepared through a simple successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method and heat treatment process by employing ZnO nanorods as reactive templates. Novel efficient QDSSCs based on the ZnO/CuSbS₂ nanofilms plus a solid electrolyte of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) were formed, and a power conversion efficiency of 1.61% was achieved. The excellent photoelectric performance is attributed to the improved light absorption efficiency, widened light absorption region, ideal band gap value, and high speed electron injection and transportation. The results demonstrate that a novel ternary sensitizer (I–V–VI₂) can be synthesized via a low-cost method as described here and has great promising potential as a sensitizer in solar cells.