Abstract
In this paper, we chemically synthesized interconnected nanoflake-like CdS thin films for photoelectrochemical solar cell applications and subsequently irradiated them with electron beam irradiation at various doses of irradiation. The as-synthesized and irradiated samples were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), and electrochemical measurements. XRD and XPS results confirmed the formation of CdS with a hexagonal crystal structure. FE-SEM and HR-TEM studies confirmed the photoelectrochemical performance, which was dependent on the surface morphology. The calculated values for efficiency demonstrated an outstanding photoelectrochemical performance with a fill factor of 0.38 and efficiency of 3.06% at 30 kGy. The high photoelectrochemical performance may be due to the interconnected nanoflake-like nanostructure and higher active surface area of the CdS samples. These results show that the electron beam irradiation is capable as an electrode for photoelectrochemical solar cells.
| Original language | English (UK) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 255-261 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces |
| Volume | 164 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Apr 2018 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Chemical bath deposition
- Electron beam irradiation
- Nanostructure
- Photoelectrochemical cell