Enhancement of photovoltaic parameters of thermally stable graphene/LaVO₃ semitransparent solar cell by employing interfacial graphene quantum dots

Abstract

Semitransparent solar cells are attracting attention not only for their visual effects but also for their ability to effectively utilize solar energy. Here, we demonstrate a translucent solar cell composed of bis(trifluoromethane sulfonyl)-amide (TFSA)-doped graphene (Gr), graphene quantum dots (GQDs), and LaVO3. By introducing a GQDs intermediate layer at the TFSA-Gr/LaVO3 interface, we can improve efficiency by preventing carrier recombination and promoting charge collection/separation in the device. As a result, the efficiency of the GQDs-based solar cell was 4.35%, which was higher than the 3.52% of the device without GQDs. Furthermore, the average visible transmittance of the device is 28%, making it suitable for translucent solar cells. The Al reflective mirror-based system improved the power conversion efficiency (PCE) by approximately 7% compared to a device without a mirror. Additionally, the thermal stability of the device remains at 90% even after 2000 h under an environment with a temperature of 60°C and 40% relative humidity. These results suggest that TFSA-Gr/GQDs/LaVO3-based cells have a high potential for practical use as a next-generation translucent solar energy power source.