Precursor Engineering of Solution-Processed Sb2 S3 Solar Cells.

Antimony-based chalcogenides have emerged as promising candidates for next-generation thin film photovoltaics. Particularly, binary Sb2 S3 thin films have exhibited great potential for optoelectronic applications, due to the facile and low-cost fabrication, simple composition, decent charge transport and superior stability. However, most of the reported efficient Sb2 S3 solar cells are realized based on chemical bath deposition and hydrothermal methods, which require large amount of solution and are normally very time-consuming. In this work, Ag ions are introduced within the Sb2 S3 sol-gel precursors, and effectively modulated the crystallization and charge transport properties of Sb2 S3 . The crystallinity of the Sb2 S3 crystal grains are enhanced and the charge carrier mobility is increased, which resulted improved charge collection efficiency and reduced charge recombination losses, reflected by the greatly improved fill factor and open-circuit voltage of the Ag incorporated Sb2 S3 solar cells. The champion devices reached a record high power conversion efficiency of 7.73% (with antireflection coating), which is comparable with the best photovoltaic performance of Sb2 S3 solar cells achieved based on chemical bath deposition and hydrothermal techniques, and pave the great avenue for next-generation solution-processed photovoltaics.

Designing Atomic Interface in Sb2S3/CdS Heterojunction for Efficient Solar Water Splitting.

In the emerging Sb2S3-based solar energy conversion devices, a CdS buffer layer prepared by chemical bath deposition is commonly used to improve the separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. However, the cation diffusion at the Sb2S3/CdS interface induces detrimental defects but is often overlooked. Designing a stable interface in the Sb2S3/CdS heterojunction is essential to achieve high solar energy conversion efficiency. As a proof of concept, this study reports that the modification of the Sb2S3/CdS heterojunction with an ultrathin Al2O3 interlayer effectively suppresses the interfacial defects by preventing the diffusion of Cd2+ cations into the Sb2S3 layer. As a result, a water-splitting photocathode based on Ag:Sb2S3/Al2O3/CdS heterojunction achieves a significantly improved half-cell solar-to-hydrogen efficiency of 2.78% in a neutral electrolyte, as compared to 1.66% for the control Ag:Sb2S3/CdS device. This work demonstrates the importance of designing atomic interfaces and may provide a guideline for the fabrication of high-performance stibnite-type semiconductor-based solar energy conversion devices.

Unbiased Photoelectrochemical H2O2 Coupled to H2 Production via Dual Sb2S3-Based Photoelectrodes with Ultralow Onset Potential.

The productions of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and hydrogen (H2) in a photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting cell suffer from an onset potential that limits solar conversion efficiencies. Moreover, the formation of H2O2 through two-electron PEC water oxidation reaction competes with four-electron oxidation evolution reaction. Herein, we developed the surface selenium doped antimony trisulfide photoelectrode with the integrated ruthenium cocatalyst (Ru/Sb2(S,Se)3) to achieve the low onset potential and high Faraday efficiency (FE) for selective H2O2 production. The photoanode exhibits an outstanding average FE of 85 % in the potential range of 0.4-1.6 VRHE and the H2O2 yield of 1.01 µmol cm-2 min-1 at 1.6 VRHE, especially at low potentials of 0.1-0.55 VRHE with 80.4 % FE. Impressively, an unassisted PEC system that employs light and electrolyte was constructed to simultaneously produce H2O2 and H2 production on both the Ru/Sb2(S,Se)3 photoanode and the Pt/TiO2/Sb2S3 photocathode. The integrated system enables the average PEC H2O2 production rate of 0.637 µmol cm-2 min-1 without applying any addition bias. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration that Sb2S3-based photoelectrodes exhibit H2O2/H2 two-side production with a strict key factor of the system, which represents its powerful platform to achieve high efficiency and productivity and the feasibility to facilitate value-added products in neutral conditions.

Enhanced Charge-Carrier Dynamics and Efficient Photoelectrochemical Nitrate-to-Ammonia Conversion on Antimony Sulfide-Based Photocathodes.

The photoelectrochemical reduction of nitrate to ammonia (PEC NO3RR) has emerged as a promising pathway for facilitating the natural nitrogen cycle. The PEC NO3RR can lower the reduction potential needed for ammonia synthesis through photogenerated voltage, showcasing the significant potential for merging abundant solar energy with sustainable nitrogen fixation. However, it is influenced by the selective photocathodes with poor carrier kinetics, low catalytic selectivity, and ammonia yields. There are few reports on suitable photoelectrodes owning efficient charge transport on PEC NO3RR at low overpotentials. Herein, we rationally constructed the CuSn alloy co-catalysts on the antimony sulfides with a highly selective PEC ammonia and an ultra-low onset potential (0.62 VRHE). CuSn/TiO2/Sb2S3 photoelectrodes achieved an ammonia faradic efficiency of 97.82 % at a low applied potential of 0.4 VRHE, and an ammonia yield of 16.96 µmol h-1 cm-2 at 0 VRHE under one sun illumination. Dynamics experiments and theoretical calculations have demonstrated that CuSn/TiO2/Sb2S3 has an enhanced charge separation and transfer efficiency, facilitating photogenerated electrons to participate in PEC NO3RR quickly. Meanwhile, moderate NO2* adsorption on this photocathode optimizes the catalytic activity and increases the NH4 + yield. This work opens an avenue for designing sulfide-based photocathodes for the efficient route of solar-to-ammonia conversion.

Growth of quasi-1 dimensional (Bi1-xSbx)2S3nanowires on fluorine-doped tin oxide glass substrate by vapor transport.

(Bi1-xSbx)2S3solid solution nanowires (0≤x≤0.73) are grown on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass via physical vapor transport. The compositions were controlled by varying the Sb2S3source temperature (300 °C-453 °C) by changing the upstream locations of the Sb2S3source in the furnace while keeping the Bi2S3source at the center of the furnace (497 °C). Defect-free nanowires with phase-pure orthorhombic and quasi-1 dimensional crystal structures were grown under a modified vapor-solid mechanism affected by FTO at initial growth stage. The aspect ratios of the nanowires reached the minimum at compositionx∼0.6.As the Sb2S3source approached the Bi2S3source,xincreased owing to the increase in the Sb2S3source temperature.x/(1-x), which is proportional to the evaporation flux of the Sb2S3source, could be well-fitted with a thermally activated equation with an apparent activation energy (105kJmol-1). However, at the distance between the Sb2S3and Bi2S3sources, with the Sb2S3source at temperatures higher than 410 °C, the compositions reduced despite the increased Sb2S3evaporation flux. Such retrograde behavior was confirmed by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and micro-Raman studies. This retrograde behavior is ascribed to the loss due to the reaction of gaseous Sb species with the Bi2S3source.

Unleashing the power of sunlight: Bi2O3/Sb2S3 photocatalysis for sustainable wastewater remediation of Tetracycline and Rhodamine-B.

The use of heterojunction photocatalysts for pollutant decomposition has garnered significant interest in mitigating water contamination and environmental pollution. Our present study focuses on synthesizing Bi2O3/Sb2S3 heterojunction photocatalyst having variable mole ratios by employing a hydrothermal technique. Loading Sb2S3 onto Bi2O3 enables broad-spectrum solar light absorption, efficient segregation of charges, and enhanced surface area, which are excellent traits for photocatalysis. Both Bi2O3 and Sb2S3 showed nano-rod type morphology, while Sb2S3 was present as smaller nano-rods and Bi2O3 as larger ones. The photocatalytic performance of this heterojunction photocatalyst was examined using Rhodamine-B (RhB) and Tetracycline (TC) under solar light illumination for 120 min. Remarkable decomposition efficiency was achieved, with a 98.2% degradation rate observed for RhB having a rate constant of 0.03149 min-1. Similar experiments were conducted using other light sources as well, such as visible light and UV light. However, only 83% and 69% RhB degradation rates were attained with visible and UV light, respectively, indicating that natural sunlight is the superior light source for our catalyst. A 91.5% degradation rate was achieved for TC with the rate constant of 0.01749 min-1, in the presence of sunlight for 120 min. A small amount (0.3 g/L) of 1:3 Bi2O3/Sb2S3 (13BOSBS) photocatalyst was enough to bring such a good result. The photocatalytic activity of our catalyst, that is, 98.2% RhB degradation, is much higher than that of commercially available TiO2-P25 powder, as the latter only achieved 52% RhB degradation. The pH at which the surface of Bi2O3/Sb2S3 has a zero charge (pHpzc) was determined to be 5.37 and the maximum decomposition of RhB was achieved at pH 7. Reusability tests verified the remarkable stability of this catalyst, with about 74.4% of RhB degradation still present after seven consecutive cycles. Scavenger experiments highlighted the crucial role of •OH radicals in the photodecomposition mechanism, as the incorporation of DMSO significantly influenced the photocatalytic efficiency of the 13BOSBS composite, leading to a notable decrease to 37.5% in RhB degradation. For the RhB dye, the 13BOSBS catalyst demonstrated remarkable 90.2% and 85% reductions in COD and TOC, respectively. The commercially available TC powder substantially reduced 84% in COD and 80% in TOC, whereas there was a 78% reduction in COD and 73% in TOC for TC tablets. The degradation of the contaminants was followed by the formation of simpler intermediates, which were discovered using the GC-MS approach. Owing to its excellent attributes and simple synthesis method, the fabricated heterojunction offers a promising solution to prevent the persistent buildup of harmful toxic pollutants in industrial wastewater systems.

Interfacial Covalent Bonding Endowing Ti3 C2 -Sb2 S3 Composites High Sodium Storage Performance.

Antimony sulfide is attracting enormous attention due to its remarkable theoretical capacity as anode for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). However, it still suffers from poor structural stability and sluggish reaction kinetics. Constructing covalent chemical linkage to anchor antimony sulfide on two-dimension conductive materials is an effective strategy to conquer the challenges. Herein, Ti3 C2 -Sb2 S3 composites are successfully achieved with monodispersed Sb2S3 uniformly pinned on the surface of Ti3 C2 Tx MXene through covalent bonding of Ti-O-Sb and S-Ti. Ti3 C2 Tx MXene serves as both charge storage contributor and flexible conductive buffer to sustain the structural integrity of the electrode. Systematic analysis indicates that construction of efficient interfacial chemical linkage could bridge the physical gap between Sb2S3 nanoparticles and Ti3 C2 Tx MXene, thus promoting the interfacial charge transfer efficiency. Furthermore, the interfacial covalent bonding could also effectively confine Sb2S3 nanoparticles and the corresponding reduced products on the surface of Ti3 C2 Tx MXene. Benefited from the unique structure, Ti3 C2 -Sb2 S3 anode delivers a high reversible capacity of 475 mAh g-1 at 0.2 A g-1 after 300 cycles, even retaining 410 mAh g-1 at 1.0 A g-1 after 500 cycles. This strategy is expected to shed more light on interfacial chemical linkage towards rational design of advanced materials for SIBs.

Boosting photovoltaic performance for Sb2S3solar cells by ionic liquid-assisted hydrothermal synthesis.

Bulk and surface trap-states in the Sb2S3films are considered one of the crucial energy loss mechanisms for achieving high photovoltaic performance in planar Sb2S3solar cells. Because ionic liquid additives offer interesting physicochemical properties to control the synthesis of inorganic material, in this work we propose the addition of 1-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium hydrogen sulfate (BMIMHS) into a Sb2S3hydrothermal precursor solution as a facile way to fabricate low-defect Sb2S3solar cells. Lower presence of small particles on the surface, as well as higher crystallinity are demonstrated in the BMIMHS-assisted Sb2S3films. Moreover, analyses of dark current density-voltageJ-Vcurves, surface photovoltage transient and intensity-modulated photocurrent spectroscopy have suggested that adding BMIMHS results in high-quality Sb2S3films and a successful defect passivation. Consequently, the best-performing BMIMHS-assisted device exhibits a 15.4% power conversion efficiency enhancement compared to that of control device. These findings show that ionic liquid BMIMHS can effectively be used to obtain high-quality Sb2S3films with low-defects and improved optoelectronic properties.

Doping Strategies in Sb2 S3 Thin Films for Solar Cells.

Sb2 S3 is an attractive solar absorber material that has garnered tremendous interest because of its fascinating properties for solar cells including suitable band gap, high absorption coefficient, earth abundance, and excellent stability. Over the past several years, intensive efforts have been made to enhance the photovoltaic efficiencies of Sb2 S3 solar cells using many promising approaches including interfacial engineering, surface passivation, additive engineering, and band-gap engineering of the charge transport layers and active light absorbing Sb2 S3 materials. Recently, doping strategies in Sb2 S3 light absorbers have gained attention as they promise to play important roles in controlling band gap, regulating film morphology, and passivating grain boundaries, and thus resulting in enhanced carrier transport, which is one of the most challenging issues in this cutting-edge research field. In this review, after a brief introduction to Sb2 S3 , an overview of Sb2 S3 solar cells and their fundamental properties are provided. Recent advances in doping strategies in Sb2 S3 thin films and solar cells are then discussed to provide in-depth understanding of the effects of various dopants on the photovoltaic properties of Sb2 S3 materials. In conclusion, the personal perspectives and outlook to the future development of Sb2 S3 solar cells are provided.

Scrutinizing transport phenomena and recombination mechanisms in thin film Sb2S3 solar cells.

The Schockley-Quisser (SQ) limit of 28.64% is distant from the Sb2S3 solar cells' record power conversion efficiency (PCE), which is 8.00%. Such poor efficiency is mostly owing to substantial interface-induced recombination losses caused by defects at the interfaces and misaligned energy levels. The endeavor of this study is to investigate an efficient Sb2S3 solar cell structure via accurate analytical modeling. The proposed model considers different recombination mechanisms such as non-radiative recombination, Sb2S3/CdS interface recombination, Auger, SRH, tunneling-enhanced recombination, and their combined impact on solar cell performance. This model is verified against experimental work (Glass/ITO/CdS/Sb2S3/Au) where a good coincidence is achieved. Several parameters effects such as thickness, doping, electronic affinity, and bandgap are scrutinized. The effect of both bulk traps located in CdS and Sb2S3 on the electrical outputs of the solar cell is analyzed thoroughly. Besides, a deep insight into the effect of interfacial traps on solar cell figures of merits is gained through shedding light into their relation with carriers' minority lifetime, diffusion length, and surface recombination velocity. Our research findings illuminate that the primary contributors to Sb2S3 degradation are interfacial traps and series resistance. Furthermore, achieving optimal band alignment by fine-tuning the electron affinity of CdS to create a Spike-like conformation is crucial for enhancing the immunity of the device versus the interfacial traps. In our study, the optimized solar cell configuration (Glass/ITO/CdS/Sb2S3/Au) demonstrates remarkable performance, including a high short-circuit current (JSC) of 47.9 mA/cm2, an open-circuit voltage (VOC) of 1.16 V, a fill factor (FF) of 54%, and a notable improvement in conversion efficiency by approximately 30% compared to conventional solar cells. Beyond its superior performance, the optimized Sb2S3 solar cell also exhibits enhanced reliability in mitigating interfacial traps at the CdS/Sb2S3 junction. This improved reliability can be attributed to our precise control of band alignment and the fine-tuning of influencing parameters.

Grain Engineering of Sb2 S3 Thin Films to Enable Efficient Planar Solar Cells with High Open-Circuit Voltage.

Sb2 S3 is a promising environmentally friendly semiconductor for high performance solar cells. But, like many other polycrystalline materials, Sb2 S3 is limited by nonradiative recombination and carrier scattering by grain boundaries (GBs). This work shows how the GB density in Sb2 S3 films can be significantly reduced from 1068 ± 40 to 327 ± 23 nm µm-2 by incorporating an appropriate amount of Ce3+ into the precursor solution for Sb2 S3 deposition. Through extensive characterization of structural, morphological, and optoelectronic properties, complemented with computations, it is revealed that a critical factor is the formation of an ultrathin Ce2 S3 layer at the CdS/Sb2 S3 interface, which can reduce the interfacial energy and increase the adhesion work between Sb2 S3 and the substrate to encourage heterogeneous nucleation of Sb2 S3 , as well as promote lateral grain growth. Through reductions in nonradiative recombination at GBs and/or the CdS/Sb2 S3 heterointerface, as well as improved charge-carrier transport properties at the heterojunction, this work achieves high performance Sb2 S3 solar cells with a power conversion efficiency reaching 7.66%. An impressive open-circuit voltage (VOC ) of 796 mV is achieved, which is the highest reported thus far for Sb2 S3 solar cells. This work provides a strategy to simultaneously regulate the nucleation and growth of Sb2 S3 absorber films for enhanced device performance.

Influence of Sulfurization Time on Sb2S3 Synthesis Using a New Graphite Box Design.

In recent years, antimony sulfide (Sb2S3) has been investigated as a photovoltaic absorber material due to its suitable absorber coefficient, direct band gap, extinction coefficient, earth-abundant, and environmentally friendly constituents. Therefore, this work proposes Sb2S3 film preparation by an effective two-step process using a new graphite box design and sulfur distribution, which has a high repeatability level and can be scalable. First, an Sb thin film was deposited using the RF-Sputtering technique, and after that, the samples were annealed with elemental sulfur into a graphite box, varying the sulfurization time from 20 to 50 min. The structural, optical, morphological, and chemical characteristics of the resulting thin films were analyzed. Results reveal the method's effectivity and the best properties were obtained for the sample sulfurized during 40 min. This Sb2S3 thin film presents an orthorhombic crystalline structure, elongated grains, a band gap of 1.69 eV, a crystallite size of 15.25 Å, and a nearly stoichiometric composition. In addition, the formation of a p-n junction was achieved by depositing silver back contact on the Glass/FTO/CdS/Sb2S3 structure. Therefore, the graphite box design has been demonstrated to be functional to obtain Sb2S3 by a two-step process.

Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Based on Sb2S3 Microstructures via Femtosecond Laser Direct Writing.

The noble-metal-free surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates have gained significant attention due to their abundant sources, signal uniformity, biocompatibility, and chemical stability. However, the lack of controllable synthesis and fabrication methods for high-SERS-activity noble-metal-free substrates hinders their practical applications. In this study, we demonstrate the use of a femtosecond laser direct writing technique to precisely manipulate and modify microstructures, resulting in enhanced SERS signals from Sb2S3 nonmetal-oxide semiconductor materials. Compared with unpatterned Sb2S3 samples, the Sb2S3 microstructures exhibited up to a 16-fold increase in Raman scattering intensity. Interestingly, our results indicate that the femtosecond laser can induce a transformation in the crystalline state of Sb2S3 and significantly enhance the Raman spectrum signal within the Sb2S3 microstructures. This enhancement is also highly dependent on the period and depth of the microstructures, possibly due to the cavity effects, resulting in a stronger local field enhancement.

Enhanced Performance of Close-Spaced Sublimation Processed Antimony Sulfide Solar Cells via Seed-Mediated Growth.

Antimony sulfide (Sb2S3) has attracted much attention due to its great prospect to construct highly efficient, cost-effective, and environment-friendly solar cells. The scalable close-spaced sublimation (CSS) is a well-developed physical deposition method to fabricate thin films for photovoltaics. However, the CSS-processed absorber films typically involve small grain size with high-density grain boundaries (GBs), resulting in severe defects-induced charge-carrier nonradiative recombination and further large open-circuit voltage (VOC) losses. In this work, it is demonstrated that a chemical bath deposited-Sb2S3 seed layer can serve as crystal nuclei and mediate the growth of large-grained, highly compact CSS-processed Sb2S3 films. This seed-mediated Sb2S3 film affords reduced defect density and enhanced charge-carrier transport, which yields an improved power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 4.78% for planar Sb2S3 solar cells. Moreover, the VOC of 0.755 V that is obtained is the highest reported thus far for vacuum-based evaporation and sublimation processed Sb2S3 devices. This work demonstrates an effective strategy to deposit high-quality low-defect-density Sb2S3 films via vacuum-based physical methods for optoelectronic applications.

Efficient Sb2S3 and Low Se Content Sb2SeyS3-y Indoor Photovoltaics.

Herein, the precise fabrication of Sb2S3 and low Se content Sb2SeyS3-y indoor photovoltaics is reported, and a measurement protocol for photovoltaic performance is suggested and applied. Insertion of the SnO2 buried layer decreases the thickness and parasitic absorption of the CdS layer. The introduction of minor Se into Sb2S3 and the use of spiro-OMeTAD:TMT-TTF improve the charge transport of indoor photovoltaics. Using a white light-emitting diode (LED) under illuminance of 1000, 500, and 200 lx with color temperatures of 3347 and 6103 K, indoor photovoltaics with fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO)/SnO2 (17 nm)/CdS (20 nm)/Sb2S3/spiro-OMeTAD:TMT-TTF/Au exhibit power conversion efficiency (PCE) values of 17.59, 16.66, 16.44, 16.56, 15.50, and 14.07%, respectively. Indoor photovoltaics with FTO/SnO2 (17 nm)/CdS (20 nm)/Sb2SeyS3-y(Sb/S/Se = 1:1.42:0.06)/spiro-OMeTAD:TMT-TTF/Au achieve PCE values of 18.53, 17.62, 17.07, 17.30, 16.24, and 15.38%, respectively. The PCE values of 17.59, 16.66, and 16.44% are the highest values reported for Sb2S3 indoor photovoltaics, and the other PCEs are all reported for the first time. Considering the trillion-dollar-sized market from the Internet of Things (IoT), this work can further bring an unprecedented thrust to the development of self-powered IoT devices by harvesting energy from indoor photovoltaics, thereby realizing the recycling of photon energy and reducing the use of batteries and the emission of CO2.

Enhanced oxygen anions generation on Bi2S3/Sb2S3 heterostructure by visible light for trace H2S detection at room temperature.

Bismuth sulfide (Bi2S3) possesses unique properties that make it a promising material for effective hydrogen sulfide (H2S) detection at room temperature. However, when exposed to light, the oxygen anions (O2-(ads)) adsorbed on the surface of Bi2S3 can react with photoinduced holes, ultimately reducing the ability to respond to H2S. In this study, Bi2S3/Sb2S3 heterostructures were synthesized, producing photoinduced oxygen anions (O2-(hv)) under visible light conditions, resulting in enhanced H2S sensing capability. The Bi2S3/Sb2S3 heterostructure sensor exhibits a two-fold increase in sensing response to 500 ppb H2S under in door light conditions relative to its performance in darkness. Additionally, the sensing response of the Bi2S3/Sb2S3 sensor (Ra/Rg= 23.3) was approximately five times higher than pure Bi2S3. The improved sensing performance of the Bi2S3/Sb2S3 heterostructures is attributable to the synergistic influence of the heterostructure configuration and light modulation, which enhances the H2S sensing performance by facilitating rapid charge transfer and increasing active sites (O2-(hv)) when exposed to visible light.

Sputtering of Molybdenum as a Promising Back Electrode Candidate for Superstrate Structured Sb2 S3 Solar Cells.

Sb2 S3 is rapidly developed as light absorber material for solar cells due to its excellent photoelectric properties. However, the use of the organic hole transport layer of Spiro-OMeTAD and gold (Au) in Sb2 S3 solar cells imposes serious problems in stability and cost. In this work, low-cost molybdenum (Mo) prepared by magnetron sputtering is demonstrated to serve as a back electrode in superstrate structured Sb2 S3 solar cells for the first time. And a multifunctional layer of Se is inserted between Sb2 S3 /Mo interface by evaporation, which plays vital roles as: i) soft loading of high-energy Mo particles with the help of cottonlike-Se layer; ii) formation of surficial Sb2 Se3 on Sb2 S3 layer, and then reducing hole transportation barrier. To further alleviate the roll-over effect, a pre-selenide Mo target and consequentially form a MoSe2 is skillfully sputtered, which is expected to manipulate the band alignment and render an enhanced holes extraction. Impressively, the device with an optimized Mo electrode achieves an efficiency of 5.1%, which is one of the highest values among non-noble metal electrode based Sb2 S3 solar cells. This work sheds light on the potential development of low-cost metal electrodes for superstrate Sb2 S3 devices by carefully designing the back contact interface.

Theoretical study of highly efficient all-inorganic Sb2S3-on-Si monolithically integrated (2-T) and mechanically stacked (4-T) tandem solar cells using SCAPS-1D.

The power conversion efficiency of all-inorganic Sb2S3-on-Si two-terminal (2-T) monolithically integrated and four-terminal (4-T) mechanically stacked tandem solar cells are investigated. A one-dimensional solar cell capacitance simulator (SCAPS-1D) has been used to simulate the stand-alone antimony trisulfide (Sb2S3) top sub-cell, silicon (Si) bottom sub-cell, 2-T monolithic, and 4-T mechanically stacked tandem solar cells. The stand-alone sub-cells are optimized by extensive studies, including interface defects density, bulk defects density, absorber layer thickness, and series resistance. The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of simulated stand-alone sub-cells is compared and verified with the existing literature. A current matching condition is established to characterize the 2-T monolithic Sb2S3-on-Si tandem cell. A filtered spectrum has been utilized for bottom sub-cell measurement in the tandem solar cells. The best-simulated PCE of Sb2S3-on-Si 2-T monolithic and 4-T tandem cells is 30.22% and 29.30%, respectively. The simulation results presented in this paper open an opportunity for the scientific community to consider Sb2S3 as a potential top sub-cell material in Sb2S3-on-Si tandem solar cells with high PCE.

High-Performance and Stable Sb2S3 Thin-Film Photodetectors for Potential Application in Visible Light Communication.

Photodetectors (PDs) are critical parts of visible light communication (VLC) systems for achieving efficient photoelectronic conversion and high-fidelity transmission of signals. Antimony sulfide (Sb2S3) as a nontoxic, high optical absorption coefficient, and low-cost semiconductor becomes a promising candidate for applications in VLC systems. Particularly, Sb2S3 PDs were verified to have significantly weak light detection ability in the visible region. However, the response speed of Sb2S3 PDs with existing device structures is still relatively slow. Herein, through optimizing the device structure for the p-i-n type PDs, a p-type Sb2Se3 hole transport layer (HTL) is designed to enhance the built-in electric field and to accelerate the migration of photogenerated carriers for the high responsivity and fast response speed. The optimal thickness of the structure is obtained through the simulation of SCAPS-1D software, and the optimized devices show high-performance parameters, including a responsivity of 0.34 A W-1, a specific detectivity (D*) of 2.20 × 1012 Jones, the -3 dB bandwidth of 440 kHz, high stability, and the value of the Sb2S3 PDs can reach 60% in the range of 360-600 nm, which indicates that the device is very suitable for working in the visible light band. In addition, the resulting Sb2S3 PD is successfully integrated into VLC systems by designing a matched light detection circuit. The results suggest that the Sb2S3 PDs are expected to provide an alternative to future VLC system applications.

Na Storage in Sb2S3@C Composite: A Synergistic Capacity Contribution Mechanism with Wider Temperature Adaptability.

The practical applications of metallic anodes are limited due to dendritic growth, propagation in an infinite volume during the plating process, and parasitic interfacial reactions between sodium (Na) and the electrolyte. Herein, we developed Sb2S3 microrods as a template to regulate the nucleation of metallic Na. Additionally, the propagation of the deposited metal could be spatially regulated via a "nanoconfinement effect", that is, within the conformal hard carbon (C) layer of nanothickness. Moreover, we carefully studied the seed effect of the in situ-formed Na-Sb and Na-S alloys within the hard C sheath during the Na plating process. The symmetrical cells of the Sb2S3@C composite anode achieved dendrite-free cycling at 1 mA cm-2 for 1100 h at a high capacity loading of 1 mA h cm-2 and considerably mitigated a nucleation overpotential of 20 mV. Pairing a NaVPO4F (NVPF) cathode (4.6 mg cm-2) with an in situ presodiation Sb2S3@C composite (2*Na excess) prototype delivered a high energy density and a high power density of 173.75 W h kg-1 and 868.57 W kg-1, respectively. Therefore, this study provides tremendous possibilities for employing the proposed hybrid storage mechanism in low-cost and practical applications of high-energy-density Na metal batteries.