Benchmark performance of low-cost Sb2Se3 photocathodes for unassisted solar overall water splitting

Determining cost-effective semiconductors exhibiting desirable properties for commercial photoelectrochemical water splitting remains a challenge. Herein, we report a Sb2Se3 semiconductor that satisfies most requirements for an ideal high-performance photoelectrode, including a small band gap and favourable cost, optoelectronic properties, processability, and photocorrosion stability. Strong anisotropy, a major issue for Sb2Se3, is resolved by suppressing growth kinetics via close space sublimation to obtain high-quality compact thin films with favourable crystallographic orientation. The Sb2Se3 photocathode exhibits a high photocurrent density of almost 30mAcm(-2) at 0V against the reversible hydrogen electrode, the highest value so far. We demonstrate unassisted solar overall water splitting by combining the optimised Sb2Se3 photocathode with a BiVO4 photoanode, achieving a solar-to-hydrogen efficiency of 1.5% with stability over 10h under simulated 1 sun conditions employing a broad range of solar fluxes. Low-cost Sb2Se3 can thus be an attractive breakthrough material for commercial solar fuel production. While photoelectrochemical water splitting offers an integrated means to convert sunlight to a renewable fuel, cost-effective light-absorbers are rare. Here, authors report Sb2Se3 photocathodes for high-performance photoelectrochemical water splitting devices

Indium-Free PTB7/PC71BM Polymer Solar Cells with Solution-Processed Al:ZnO Electrodes on PET Substrates

Inverted PTB7/PC71BM polymer solar cells are prepared on solution-processed Al:ZnO transparent contacts on PET substrates. Al:ZnO is deposited by a low temperature chemical bath deposition route (T < 100°C at any step) to comply with the temperature sensitive substrate. A maximum conversion efficiency of 6.4% and 6.9% is achieved for the indium-free solar cells on PET and glass substrates, respectively. The devices are relatively stable in air whereby an initial efficiency loss in the order of 15% after storage for 15 days can be fully recovered by light soaking