Boron-doped CuInTe2 semiconductor-sensitized liquid-junction solar cells

Boron-doped copper indium telluride nanoparticles (B-doped CuInTe2 NPs) sensitizer - for liquidjunction solar cells was demonstrated to improve cell performance. The NPs were grown using the successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) technique, with sizes of 7-9 nm and a body-centered tetragonal structure formed on the TiO2 electrode. The band gaps (E(g)s) of boron-doped CuInTe2 NPs decreased from 0.73 to 0.64 eV with increasing SILAR cycles. In comparison, E-g=0.83 eV was yielded for an undoped CuInTe2 sample. The photovoltaic performance shows that the boron-doped CuInTe2(3) coated-TiO2 electrode exhibited the highest efficiency, eta=0.18%, with a short-circuit current density, J(sc)=2.11 mA/cm(2), an open-circuit voltage, V-oc=0.459 V, a fill factor, FF =18.9%. For the undoped sample, eta=0.02% was also yielded. This kind of material and a synthesis procedure can be further improved for a higher efficiency and more stability on a sensitizer. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.