Employing overlayers to improve the performance of Cu2BaSnS4 thin film based photoelectrochemical water reduction devices
Abstract
Earth-abundant copper-barium-thiostannate Cu2BaSnS4 (CBTS)-based thin films have recently been reported to exhibit the optoelectronic and defect properties suitable as absorbers for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting and the top cell of tandem photovoltaic solar cells. However, the photocurrents of CBTS-based PEC devices are still much lower than the theoretical value, partially due to ineffective charge collection at CBTS/water interface and instability of CBTS in electrolytes. Here, we report on overcoming these issues by employing overlayer engineering. We find that CdS/ZnO/TiO2 overlayers can significant-ly improve the PEC performance, achieving saturated cathodic photocurrents up to 7.8 mA cm-2 at the potential of -0.10 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) in a neutral electrolyte solution, which is much higher than the best bare CBTS film attaining a photocurrent of 4.8 mA cm-2 at the potential of -0.2 V versus RHE. Finally, our results suggest a viable approach for improving the performance of CBTS-based PEC cells.
- Authors:
-
[1];
[1]
- The Univ. of Toledo, Toledo, OH (United States)
- National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS); National Science Foundation (NSF)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1346536
- Report Number(s):
- NREL/JA-5900-67785
Journal ID: ISSN 0897-4756
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC36-08GO28308; AC02-05CH11231; CHE-1230246; DMR-1534686
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Chemistry of Materials
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 29; Journal Issue: 3; Journal ID: ISSN 0897-4756
- Publisher:
- American Chemical Society (ACS)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 08 HYDROGEN; 37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; optoelectronics; absorbers; photoelectrochemical water splitting; overlayer engineering
Citation Formats
Ge, Jie, Roland, Paul J., Koirala, Prakash, Meng, Weiwei, Young, James L., Petersen, Reese, Deutsch, Todd G., Teeter, Glenn, Ellingson, Randy J., Collins, Robert W., and Yan, Yanfa. Employing overlayers to improve the performance of Cu2BaSnS4 thin film based photoelectrochemical water reduction devices. United States: N. p., 2017.
Web. doi:10.1021/acs.chemmater.6b03347.
Ge, Jie, Roland, Paul J., Koirala, Prakash, Meng, Weiwei, Young, James L., Petersen, Reese, Deutsch, Todd G., Teeter, Glenn, Ellingson, Randy J., Collins, Robert W., & Yan, Yanfa. Employing overlayers to improve the performance of Cu2BaSnS4 thin film based photoelectrochemical water reduction devices. United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemmater.6b03347
Ge, Jie, Roland, Paul J., Koirala, Prakash, Meng, Weiwei, Young, James L., Petersen, Reese, Deutsch, Todd G., Teeter, Glenn, Ellingson, Randy J., Collins, Robert W., and Yan, Yanfa. Thu .
"Employing overlayers to improve the performance of Cu2BaSnS4 thin film based photoelectrochemical water reduction devices". United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemmater.6b03347. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1346536.
@article{osti_1346536,
title = {Employing overlayers to improve the performance of Cu2BaSnS4 thin film based photoelectrochemical water reduction devices},
author = {Ge, Jie and Roland, Paul J. and Koirala, Prakash and Meng, Weiwei and Young, James L. and Petersen, Reese and Deutsch, Todd G. and Teeter, Glenn and Ellingson, Randy J. and Collins, Robert W. and Yan, Yanfa},
abstractNote = {Earth-abundant copper-barium-thiostannate Cu2BaSnS4 (CBTS)-based thin films have recently been reported to exhibit the optoelectronic and defect properties suitable as absorbers for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting and the top cell of tandem photovoltaic solar cells. However, the photocurrents of CBTS-based PEC devices are still much lower than the theoretical value, partially due to ineffective charge collection at CBTS/water interface and instability of CBTS in electrolytes. Here, we report on overcoming these issues by employing overlayer engineering. We find that CdS/ZnO/TiO2 overlayers can significant-ly improve the PEC performance, achieving saturated cathodic photocurrents up to 7.8 mA cm-2 at the potential of -0.10 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) in a neutral electrolyte solution, which is much higher than the best bare CBTS film attaining a photocurrent of 4.8 mA cm-2 at the potential of -0.2 V versus RHE. Finally, our results suggest a viable approach for improving the performance of CBTS-based PEC cells.},
doi = {10.1021/acs.chemmater.6b03347},
journal = {Chemistry of Materials},
number = 3,
volume = 29,
place = {United States},
year = {2017},
month = {1}
}
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