Performance Analysis of Calcium-Doped Titania (TiO2) as an Effective Electron Transport Layer (ETL) for Perovskite Solar Cells

Abstract

Ca-doped TiO2 films were synthesized by the modified sol-gel method and employed as the electron transport material of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Morphological, optoelectronic, thermal, and electrical studies of thin films were investigated through XRD, RAMAN, SEM, AFM, UV- Vis, FTIR, and IV characteristics. Ca doping was detected with the help of structural properties while morphological analysis revealed that thin films based on Ca-doped titania are crack-free, homogenous, and uniformly distributed. Further optoelectronic properties have shown a promising conversion efficiency of 9.79% for 2% Ca-doped titania followed by 1% Ca-doped titania, while 3% have shown the lowest conversion efficiency among these prepared samples. The 2% an optimized doping of Ca has shown an almost two-fold increase in conversion efficiency in comparison to pristine TiO2, along with an increase in current density from 15 mA cm−2 to 19.3 mA⋅cm−2. Improved energy efficiency and higher current density are attributed to faster electron transportation; moreover, the optimized percentage of Ca doping seems to be an effective approach to improve the PSCs’ performance.

Improving the Photocatalytic Activity of Mesoporous Titania Films through the Formation of WS2/TiO2 Nano-Heterostructures

“…The two sharp diffraction peaks at 14.25° and 54.36° ( Figure 5 a) are assigned to the characteristic (002) reflection in the 2H-WS 2 phase (marked by a rhombus ◆) and the (311) plane of the Si wafer surface (marked by an asterisk *). The signals at 25.41° and 55.24° are attributed to (101) and (211) reflections of the anatase phase, obtained from amorphous titania after the annealing process [ 10 , 29 ]. By applying the Scherrer equation to the (101) reflection, we have estimated the anatase crystallite size as 1.78, 1.85, 2.20, and 2.31 nm for TiO 2 , TiO 2 -WS 2 (U), TiO 2 -WS 2 (L), and TiO 2 -WS 2 (S), respectively.…”

Future of Hydrogen as an Alternative Fuel for Next-Generation Industrial Applications; Challenges and Expected Opportunities

“…Figure 8 highlights GO and its derivatives, which are being studied in a variety of electrochemical energy storage applications, including batteries, capacitors, and fuel cells, owing to their excellent and unique features [89][90][91]. GO has the potential to act as an oxidant by decreasing its oxygen functional groups, and the formation of composites using GO's remarkable properties is a prime example.…”

Growth of Nanocolumnar TiO2 Bilayer by Direct Current Reactive Magnetron Sputtering in Glancing-Angle Deposition Configuration for High-Quality Electron Transport Layer

“…Each layer is very important, but, in practice, the loss of efficiency is closely related to the ability of the ETL to transport photogenerated electrons. The electron transport layer plays an important role within the structure of the solar cell, since the electron transport layer, depending on its morphology, the type of material from which it is built, and its physical properties, will be used for better stability, prolonged life, and offer higher PCE, some of the most widely used materials are metal oxides, some of the most commonly used materials are metal oxides, such as TiO 2 [ 8 , 9 , 10 ], ZnO [ 11 , 12 , 13 ], SnO 2 [ 14 , 15 , 16 ], SiO 2 [ 17 ], and ZrO 2 [ 18 , 19 ]; each material provides specific advantages.…”