A research team led by Profs. WANG Mingtai and CHEN Chong from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed a groundbreaking strategy to enhance the performance of Sb₂S₃-based solar cells. 

Their work, published in Advanced Functional Materials, has set a new record with a power conversion efficiency of 8.06% for Sb₂S₃ solar cells.

One of the major hurdles for large-scale solar cell applications is the difficulty in achieving cost-effective, high-efficiency, and stable systems. While Sb₂S₃ solar cells are known for their non-toxic nature and stability, their power conversion efficiency has remained limited at around 6%-7%. This limitation has been attributed to challenges in controlling crystal orientation during the growth of Sb₂S₃, which impacts charge transport efficiency.

To address these challenges, the researchers introduced an innovative three-dimensional distributed interface hetero-induced crystallization strategy. By depositing PbSe nanoparticle films onto three-dimensional electron transport material (ETM) channels, they successfully induced [hk1]-oriented crystallization in Sb2S3 films. This strategy not only improved the crystallization process but also enhanced bidirectional passivation of defects at the ETM/Sb2S3 interface, optimizing the energy-band structure of the solar cell.

As a result of this approach, the team achieved an impressive 8.06% power conversion efficiency in Sb₂S₃ bulk-heterojunction solar cells—setting a new benchmark for this material in the field of solar energy. 

The study offers innovative insights into multiple domains including Sb₂S₃ device architecture design, crystallization kinetics modulation, surface/interface photoelectric performance engineering, and interfacial material selection.

Schematic diagrams of the Sb₂S₃ solar cell structure, photovoltaic performance, and its crystallization optimization, defect passivation, and energy-band adjustment. (Image by WANG Yang)