Colloidal Synthesis and Characterization of Molybdenum Chalcogenide Quantum Dots Using a Two-Source Precursor Pathway for Photovoltaic Applications

Evernice Chikukwa; Edson Meyer; Johannes Mbese; Nyengerai Zingwe

doi:10.3390/molecules26144191

Colloidal Synthesis and Characterization of Molybdenum Chalcogenide Quantum Dots Using a Two-Source Precursor Pathway for Photovoltaic Applications

Molecules. 2021 Jul 9;26(14):4191. doi: 10.3390/molecules26144191.

Authors

Evernice Chikukwa^{1

2

3}, Edson Meyer¹, Johannes Mbese^{2

3}, Nyengerai Zingwe^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Fort Hare Institute of Technology (FHIT), Private Bag X1314, Alice 5700, South Africa.
² Department of Chemistry, University of Fort Hare, Alice 5700, South Africa.
³ Energy, Materials and Inorganic Chemistry Research Group (EMICREG), University of Fort Hare, Alice 5700, South Africa.

Abstract

The drawbacks of utilizing nonrenewable energy have quickened innovative work on practical sustainable power sources (photovoltaics) because of their provision of a better-preserved decent environment which is free from natural contamination and commotion. Herein, the synthesis, characterization, and application of Mo chalcogenide nanoparticles (NP) as alternative sources in the absorber layer of QDSSCs is discussed. The successful synthesis of the NP was confirmed as the results from the diffractive peaks obtained from XRD which were positive and agreed in comparison with the standard. The diffractive peaks were shown in the planes (100), (002), (100), and (105) for the MoS₂ nanoparticles; (002), (100), (103), and (110) for the MoSe₂ nanoparticles; and (0002), (0004), (103), as well as (0006) for the MoTe₂ nanoparticles. MoSe₂ presented the smallest size of the nanoparticles, followed by MoTe₂ and, lastly, by MoS₂. These results agreed with the results obtained using SEM analysis. For the optical properties of the nanoparticles, UV-Vis and PL were used. The shift of the peaks from the red shift (600 nm) to the blue shift (270-275 nm and 287-289 nm (UV-Vis)) confirmed that the nanoparticles were quantum-confined. The application of the MoX₂ NPs in QDSSCs was performed, with MoSe₂ presenting the greatest PCE of 7.86%, followed by MoTe₂ (6.93%) and, lastly, by MoS₂, with the PCE of 6.05%.

Keywords: chalcogenides; chemical synthesis; metals.