Industrially scalable and cost-effective Mn2+ doped ZnxCd1-xS/ZnS nanocrystals with 70% photoluminescence quantum yield, as efficient down-shifting materials in photovoltaics

Levchuk I, Wuerth C, Krause F, Osvet A, Batentschuk M, Resch-Genger U, Kolbeck C, Herre P, Steinrück HP, Peukert W, Brabec C (2016)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2016

Journal

Energy and Environmental Science Royal Society of Chemistry

Book Volume: 9

Pages Range: 1083-1094

Journal Issue: 3

DOI: 10.1039/C5EE03165F

Abstract

We present colloidally stable and highly luminescent ZnxCd1$-$xS:Mn/ZnS core--shell nanocrystals (NCs) synthesized via a simple non-injection one-pot, two-step synthetic route, which can be easily upscaled. A systematic variation of the reaction component, parameters and thickness of the ZnS shell yielded doped nanocrystals with a very high photoluminescence quantum yield (\textgreekFpl) of 70%, which is the highest value yet reported for these Mn-doped sulfide-semiconductor NCs. These materials can be synthesized with high reproducibility in large quantities of the same high quality, i.e., the same \textgreekFpl using accordingly optimized reaction conditions. The application of these zero-reabsorption high quality NCs in the light conversion layers, deposited on top of a commercial monocrystalline silicon (mono-Si) solar cell, led to a significant enhancement of the external quantum efficiency (EQE) of this device in the ultraviolet spectral region between 300 and 400 nm up to ca. 12%. EQE enhancement is reflected by an increase in the power conversion efficiency (PCE) by nearly 0.5 percentage points and approached the theoretical limit (0.6%) expected from down-shifting for this Si solar cell. The resulting PCE may result in a BoM (bill of materials) cost reduction of app. 3% for mono-Si photovoltaic modules. Such small but distinct improvements are expected to pave the road for an industrial application of doped semiconductor NCs as cost-effective light converters for silicon photovoltaic (PV) and other optoelectronic applications.

Authors with CRIS profile

Ievgen Levchuk Institute Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i-MEET) (i-MEET) Andres Osvet Institute Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i-MEET) (i-MEET) Miroslaw Batentschuk Institute Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i-MEET) (i-MEET) Claudia Kolbeck Lehrstuhl für Physikalische Chemie II Patrick Herre Lehrstuhl für Partikelsynthese (LFG) Hans-Peter Steinrück Lehrstuhl für Physikalische Chemie II Wolfgang Peukert Lehrstuhl für Partikelsynthese (LFG) Christoph Brabec Institute Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i-MEET) (i-MEET)

Additional Organisation(s)

Exzellenz-Cluster Engineering of Advanced Materials (EAM) Graduiertenkolleg 1896/2 In situ Mikroskopie mit Elektronen, Röntgenstrahlen und Rastersonden Interdisziplinäres Zentrum, Center for Nanoanalysis and Electron Microscopy (CENEM)

Involved external institutions

Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM) DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Levchuk, I., Wuerth, C., Krause, F., Osvet, A., Batentschuk, M., Resch-Genger, U.,... Brabec, C. (2016). Industrially scalable and cost-effective Mn2+ doped ZnxCd1-xS/ZnS nanocrystals with 70% photoluminescence quantum yield, as efficient down-shifting materials in photovoltaics. Energy and Environmental Science, 9(3), 1083-1094. https://doi.org/10.1039/C5EE03165F

MLA:

Levchuk, Ievgen, et al. "Industrially scalable and cost-effective Mn2+ doped ZnxCd1-xS/ZnS nanocrystals with 70% photoluminescence quantum yield, as efficient down-shifting materials in photovoltaics." Energy and Environmental Science 9.3 (2016): 1083-1094.

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