Atomically Thin-Layered Molybdenum Disulfide (MoS₂) for Bulk-Heterojunction Solar Cells

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Renewable Energy

Background:

• Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) possess unique semiconducting and photonic properties.
• Specific TMDs like molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) are gaining attention for solar cell applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the role of atomically thin MoS₂ layers in various solar cell architectures.
• To analyze the impact of doping and electrical gating on MoS₂ solar cell performance.
• To discuss the stability of MoS₂-based solar cells for commercial viability.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on TMDs and MoS₂ in solar cells.
• Analysis of MoS₂ as hole-transport, electron-transport, interfacial, and protective layers.
• Examination of doping effects (plasma and chemical) and electrical gating on photovoltaic performance.

Main Results:

• MoS₂ integration in bulk-heterojunction, organic, and perovskite solar cells yields significant power conversion efficiencies (PCEs).
• Trilayer graphene/MoS₂/n-Si devices achieved 11.1% PCE.
• MoS₂/h-BN/GaAs heterostructures reached 9.03% PCE after doping and gating.
• MoS₂-containing perovskite solar cells demonstrated up to 13.3% PCE.
• MoS₂-based organic solar cells exceeded 8.40% PCE.

Conclusions:

• Atomically thin MoS₂ layers are highly effective in enhancing solar cell performance across diverse device types.
• Doping and electrical gating further improve the photovoltaic characteristics of MoS₂-based solar cells.
• While MoS₂ offers high PCE, long-term environmental stability is crucial for widespread commercial adoption.