Wire-supported CdSe nanowire array photoelectrochemical solar cells.
Previous fiber-shaped solar cells are based on polymeric materials or dye-sensitized wide band-gap oxides. Here, we show that efficient fiber solar cells can be made from semiconducting nanostructures (e.g. CdSe) with smaller band-gap as the light absorption material. We directly grow a vertical array of CdSe nanowires uniformly around a core metal wire and make the device by covering the top of nanowires with a carbon nanotube (CNT) film as the porous transparent electrode. The CdSe-CNT fiber solar cells show power conversion efficiencies of 1-2% under AM 1.5 illumination after the nanowires are infiltrated with redox electrolyte. We do not use a secondary metal wire (e.g. Pt) as in conventional fiber-shaped devices, instead, the end part of the CNT film is condensed into a conductive yarn to serve as the secondary electrode. In addition, our CdSe nanowire-based photoelectrochemical fiber solar cells maintain good flexibility and stable performance upon rotation and bending to large angles.
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, PR China.
Luhui
L
Zhang
Enzheng
E
Shi
Zhen
Z
Li
Peixu
P
Li
Yi
Y
Jia
Chunyan
C
Ji
Jinquan
J
Wei
Kunlin
K
Wang
Hongwei
H
Zhu
Dehai
D
Wu
Anyuan
A
Cao
D019187:Cadmium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D011211:Electric Power Supplies; D004563:Electrochemistry; D004566:Electrodes; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry; D053770:Nanowires / Q000737:chemistry*; D010316:Particle Size; D055668:Photochemical Processes; D016062:Porosity; D018036:Selenium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties
D019187:Cadmium Compounds; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D018036:Selenium Compounds; C058667:cadmium selenide