Strongly Enhanced Photovoltaic Performance and Defect Physics of Air‐Stable Bismuth Oxyiodide (BiOI)

Hoye, Robert L. Z.; Lee, Lana C.; Kurchin, Rachel C.; Huq, Tahmida N.; Zhang, Kelvin H. L.; Sponseller, Melany; Nienhaus, Lea; Brandt, Riley E.; Jean, Joel; Polizzotti, James Alexander; Kursumović, Ahmed; Bawendi, Moungi G.; Bulović, Vladimir; Stevanović, Vladan; Buonassisi, Tonio; MacManus‐Driscoll, Judith L.

doi:10.1002/adma.201702176

Title: Strongly Enhanced Photovoltaic Performance and Defect Physics of Air‐Stable Bismuth Oxyiodide (BiOI)

Journal Article · Mon Jul 17 00:00:00 EDT 2017 · Advanced Materials

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.201702176 · OSTI ID:1373141

^[1]; Lee, Lana C. ^[2]; Kurchin, Rachel C. ^[3]; Huq, Tahmida N. ^[2]; Zhang, Kelvin H. L. ^[2]; Sponseller, Melany ^[3]; Nienhaus, Lea ^[3]; Brandt, Riley E. ^[3]; Jean, Joel ^[3]; Polizzotti, James Alexander ^[3]; Kursumović, Ahmed ^[2]; Bawendi, Moungi G. ^[3]; Bulović, Vladimir ^[3]; Stevanović, Vladan ^[4]; Buonassisi, Tonio ^[3]; MacManus‐Driscoll, Judith L. ^[2]

Cavendish Laboratory University of Cambridge JJ Thomson Ave Cambridge CB3 0HE UK, Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy University of Cambridge 27 Charles Babbage Rd Cambridge CB3 0FS UK, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge MA 02139 USA
Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy University of Cambridge 27 Charles Babbage Rd Cambridge CB3 0FS UK
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge MA 02139 USA
Colorado School of Mines Golden CO 80401 USA, National Renewable Energy Laboratory Golden CO 80401 USA

Bismuth‐based compounds have recently gained increasing attention as potentially nontoxic and defect‐tolerant solar absorbers. However, many of the new materials recently investigated show limited photovoltaic performance. Herein, one such compound is explored in detail through theory and experiment: bismuth oxyiodide (BiOI). BiOI thin films are grown by chemical vapor transport and found to maintain the same tetragonal phase in ambient air for at least 197 d. The computations suggest BiOI to be tolerant to antisite and vacancy defects. All‐inorganic solar cells (ITO|NiO _x |BiOI|ZnO|Al) with negligible hysteresis and up to 80% external quantum efficiency under select monochromatic excitation are demonstrated. The short‐circuit current densities and power conversion efficiencies under AM 1.5G illumination are nearly double those of previously reported BiOI solar cells, as well as other bismuth halide and chalcohalide photovoltaics recently explored by many groups. Through a detailed loss analysis using optical characterization, photoemission spectroscopy, and device modeling, direction for future improvements in efficiency is provided. This work demonstrates that BiOI, previously considered to be a poor photocatalyst, is promising for photovoltaics.

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Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0001088; AC36-08GO28308

OSTI ID:: 1373141

Journal Information:: Advanced Materials, Journal Name: Advanced Materials Journal Issue: 36 Vol. 29; ISSN 0935-9648

Publisher:: Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: Germany

Language:: English

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