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Updated: Aug 13, 2026
Fabrication of Fully Solution Processed Inorganic Nanocrystal Photovoltaic Devices
Published on: July 8, 2016
Quantum-confinement and defect-engineered N,S-carbon nanosheet-ruthenium quantum dot heterostructures for highly
Murali Balu1, Thamilselvan A2, Tholkappiyan Ramachandran3
1Centre for Applied Nanomaterials, Chennai Institute of Technology Kundrathur Chennai - 600 069 India muralib374@gmail.com +918124715364.
None:
The development of efficient and stable electron transport layers (ETLs) is essential for advancing high-performance organic solar cells (OSCs) by regulating interfacial charge dynamics and suppressing defect-mediated recombination. Herein, we develop a quantum-confinement and defect-engineered hybrid ETL based on porous nitrogen/sulfur co-doped carbon nanosheets decorated with ruthenium quantum dots (NSCNSs/RuQDs) for inverted OSCs. The hybrid material was synthesized via a facile one-pot solvothermal approach, enabling the uniform in situ growth of ultrasmall RuQDs (2-4 nm) on a conductive porous NSCNS framework. The strong RuQD-carbon coupling and heteroatom-induced electronic modulation generate abundant active sites, enhance interfacial charge interactions, and facilitate electron transport. Structural and spectroscopic investigations reveal that RuQD incorporation tailors the electronic structure of NSCNSs, broadens optical absorption, reduces defect-associated recombination, and induces quantum-confinement-driven bandgap modulation from 0.87 to 0.34 eV. Time-resolved photoluminescence measurements demonstrate an extended carrier lifetime of 5.44 ns for NSCNSs/RuQDs compared with 1.73 ns for pristine NSCNSs, confirming effective defect passivation and improved charge extraction. When integrated as a TiO2/NSCNSs/RuQDs bilayer ETL in PTB7-Th:PC71BM-based OSCs, the optimized devices achieve a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 10.77 ± 0.57%, with a short-circuit current density of 23.18 ± 0.51 mA cm-2, open-circuit voltage of 0.83 ± 0.01 V, and fill factor of 0.56 ± 0.01, surpassing pristine NSCNS-based devices. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy confirms reduced interfacial recombination, enhanced electron lifetime (85.61 ms), and improved charge collection efficiency (91.01%). This work highlights quantum-confined metal quantum dots integrated with heteroatom-engineered carbon frameworks as promising interfacial materials for next-generation optoelectronic and energy-conversion applications.
