Exploring the Potential of Pure Germanium Kesterite for a 2T Kesterite/Silicon Tandem Solar Cell: A Simulation Study.

Recently, the development of tandem devices has become one of the main strategies for further improving the efficiency of photovoltaic modules. In this regard, combining well-established Si technology with thin film technology is one of the most promising approaches. However, this imposes several limitations on such thin film technology, such as low prices, the absence of scarce or toxic elements, the possibility to tune optical properties and long lifetime stability.

Effect of Precursor Nature and Sol-Gel Synthesis Conditions on TiO Aerogel's Structure.

The aim of this investigation was to synthesize high porosity TiO aerogel by applying sol-gel and subcritical drying methods and to identify the influence of reagent's nature and synthesis conditions on their structural and optical properties. Methods of XRD, FT-IR, BET, STA, SEM, and UV-vis were applied to investigate and compare the properties of synthesized TiO aerogels and to determine the most effective synthesis route. The structural parameters of the synthesized materials can be varied by changing the precursor type (titanium (IV), isopropoxide (TIP), or tetrabutylorthotitanate (TBOT)) and the nature of the solvent used for additional exchange (-hexane (nH), cyclohexane (CH), or diethyl ether (DE)).