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Highly Conductive CdS Inverse Opals for Photochemical Solar Cells
Author(s) -
Ling Tao,
Kulinich Sergei A.,
Zhu ZiLing,
Qiao ShiZhang,
Du XiWen
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
advanced functional materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.069
H-Index - 322
eISSN - 1616-3028
pISSN - 1616-301X
DOI - 10.1002/adfm.201300734
Subject(s) - materials science , electrical conductor , calcination , annealing (glass) , anode , inverse , energy conversion efficiency , polystyrene , semiconductor , optoelectronics , chemical engineering , photovoltaic system , nanotechnology , polymer , composite material , catalysis , electrode , organic chemistry , ecology , chemistry , geometry , mathematics , engineering , biology
Semiconductor materials with an inverse opal structure have previously demonstrated promise for photovoltaic applications. However, their use in solar cells is still restricted by their poor electron transfer properties. Here, highly conductive CdS inverse opal structures are prepared via a multistep process, where CdS inverse opal backbones are first built up on conductive glass substrates via co‐deposition of CdS quantum dots and polystyrene microspheres, followed by calcination, after which subsequent electrodepositon and annealing treatments are applied to transform the fine constituent nanocrystals into larger ones, thus considerably enhancing the electrical conductivity. The obtained CdS networks are tested as anodes in photochemical solar cells and demonstrate conversion efficiency values up to 2.00% under the illumination of one sun. After depositing an additional CdSe layer, the conversion efficiency of the structures is further increased to 2.47%.