Project R-14320

Emerging binary chalcogenide materials for integration in photoelectrochemical and tandem devices. (Research)

Antimony sulfide (Sb2S3) is an emerging light-harvesting semiconductor that due to its ideal optoelectronic properties has attracted interest for photovoltaic applications, though it remains vastly unexplored for photoelectrochemical water splitting and CO2 conversion. In this work, we aim to synthetize Sb2S3 using an operator-friendly thermal evaporation process. The output from the synthesis are compact, homogeneous and pinhole-free thin films, with grain size in the order of 200-300 nm. Eventually we explore the hybrid deposition by combining a mechanical evaporation and a liquid synthesis step to impart grains' orientation along the [hk1] direction. The goal is to enhance charge extraction through strategically optimized electron and hole selective contacts that remain unknown for Sb2S3 so far. The as-prepared films are integrated in PV tandem for further studies on defects-related losses. Once tested and optimized for PV tandem, Sb2S3 thin films will be integrated into PEC devices to study and perform CO2 conversion. Following this scientific strategy, the end result is taking advantage of the outputs coming from the synthesis and integration into PV tandem to extend and update the state-of-the-art regarding the application of Sb2S3 semiconductor in PEC devices for CO2 conversion.

01 November 2023 - 31 October 2027