A New Class of Multinary Copper Chalcogenides for Photovoltaic Applications

A New Class of Multinary Copper Chalcogenides for Photovoltaic Applications

Presenter(s)

Sohini Sengupta (presenting author); other authors: Fajer A. Almanea, Venkateswar Rao, Jinchen Han, Soubantika Palchoudhury (faculty advisor)

Comments

Presentation: 11:20-11:40 p.m., Science Center 146

Description

Cu3MX4 (M = V, Nb, and Ta; X = S, Se, and Te) compounds, also known as the sulvanite family, have recently emerged as promising materials for optoelectronic devices, including solar photovoltaics (PV) due to their tunable band gaps, high optical absorption coefficients and composition consisting of comparatively earth-abundant elements. These several nanocrystal compositions of the Cu3VS4−xSex (x = 0, 1, 2, 3) series were synthesized in the solution phase. The solution-phase synthesis methods allow for the control of particle size and morphology, which conventional solid-state synthesis fails to achieve. Based on experimental band gap characterization via ultraviolet visible spectroscopy,the multinary Copper vanadium chalcogenides possess an intermediate band (IB), making them promising candidates for the absorber layer in solar PV. The optical direct band gap trend shows a decrease with increasing Se content. The IB solar cells are designed to incorporate an energy band that is partially filled with electrons within the forbidden bandgap of a semiconductor, in order to provide a large photogenerated current while maintaining a high output voltage. A detailed material characterization of these new multinary nanocrystals was conducted using x-ray diffraction, photoluminescence spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy to further understand the structure-property relation of these nanocrystals.

Publication Date

4-19-2023

Project Designation

Graduate Research

Primary Advisor

Soubantika Palchoudhury

Primary Advisor's Department

Chemical and Materials Engineering

Keywords

Stander Symposium, School of Engineering

A New Class of Multinary Copper Chalcogenides for Photovoltaic Applications

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