Enhanced performance of dye-sensitized solar cells using solution-based in situ synthesis and fabrication of Cu2ZnSnSe4 nanocrystal counter electrode.

On the bright side: A solution-based strategy was developed for in situ synthesis and film deposition of Cu2ZnSnSe4 nanocrystal films (samples a-d). The obtained Cu2ZnSnSe4 nanocrystal films can be used as an effective counter-electrode (CE) material to replace Pt, and yield low-cost, high-efficiency dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The assembled solar cell devices exhibit an efficiency of 7.

Surfactant-free CuInS2 nanocrystals: an alternative counter-electrode material for dye-sensitized solar cells.

Surfactant-free CuInS2 (CIS) nanocrystals (NCs) were synthesized by replacing organic capping ligands with inorganic ions S(2-). The efficacy of ligand exchange was probed by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-vis spectroscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR). The surfactant-free CIS NCs films were obtained by drop-casting onto the clean FTO glass.