Metal Sulphide Based Semiconductors for Solar Photon Energy Harvesting

Abstract

Sun light is a relatively infinite source of energy available on the earth compared to all other renewable and non-renewable energy sources put together. Harvesting solar photons in an effective and efficient manner can possibly meet the worldwide energy demand. The various photon harvesting processes and ideal characteristic properties for effective light absorbers have been discussed in detail in chapter 1. Metal sulphides with ns2np0 electronic states, especially antimony-based semiconductors are discussed in the context of a few applications viz. light absorber in heterojunction solar cell (converting solar photon to electricity), low band gap visible light photocatalysis (photodegradation of water pollutants), visible light absorber semiconductor as hole transport material in n-i-p perovskite solar cell. The scope of nanostructured binary semiconductors (CdS) is also discussed in the context of light to electricity conversion in liquid junction semiconductor sensitized solar cell by using mixed crystal phase nanocrystal. This chapter also discusses the photoelectron spectroscopy techniques which have been widely used in this thesis to analyse the semiconductor energy levels and specific parameters of solar cell device performances.