All Inorganic p_n Heterojunction Solar Cells by Solution Combustion Synthesis using n_type FeMnO3 Perovskite Photoactive Layer

TL;DR

This paper reports the synthesis of pure-phase FeMnO3 nanoparticles via solution combustion, their integration into all-oxide solar cells, and the demonstration of a functional heterojunction with promising optoelectronic properties.

Contribution

It introduces a novel solution combustion synthesis method for FeMnO3 nanoparticles and demonstrates their application in all-inorganic heterojunction solar cells.

Findings

FeMnO3 nanoparticles with ~13 nm crystallite size were successfully synthesized.

The solar cells achieved a high open circuit voltage of 1.31 V.

Power conversion efficiency of 0.05% was demonstrated under standard illumination.

Abstract

This study outlines the synthesis and physicochemical characteristics of a solution-processable iron manganite (FeMnO3) nanoparticles via a chemical combustion method using tartartic acid as a fuel and demonstrates the performance of this material as a n-type photoactive layer in all-oxide solar cells. It is shown that the solution combustion synthesis (SCS) method enables the formation of pure crystal phase FeMnO3 with controllable particle size. XRD pattern and morphology images from TEM confirm the purity of FeMnO3 phase and the relative small crystallite size (~13 nm), firstly reported in the literature. Moreover, to assemble a network of connected FeMnO3 nanoparticles, \b{eta}-alanine was used as a capping agent and dimethylformamide (DMF) as a polar aprotic solvent for the colloidal dispersion of FeMnO3 NPs. This procedure yields a ~500 nm thick photoactive layer. The proposed method is crucial to obtain functional solution processed NiO/FeMnO3 heterojunction inorganic photovoltaics. The optoelectronic properties of the heterojunction were established. These solar cells demonstrate a high open circuit voltage of 1.31 V with sufficient fill factor of 54.3% and low short circuit current of 0.07 mA cm-2 delivering a power conversion efficiency of 0.05% under 100 mW cm-2 illumination. This work expands on the burgeoning of environmentally friendly, low-cost, sustainable solar cell material that derive from metal oxides.