Thiocyanate functionalized ionic liquid electrolyte for photoelectrochemical study of cadmium selenide pebbles

• CdSe thin films have been synthesized by a versatile Chemical Bath Deposition method.
• A new electrolyte based on Thiocyanate functionalized Ionic liquid, [BMIm][SCN] in polysulfide is used for photoelectrochemical study of CdSe pebbles.
• FESEM images showed the formation of CdSe pebbles.
• Addition of [BMIm][SCN] in polysulfide produced the highest current density of 4.93 mA/cm2 with the two fold increase in the power conversion efficiency up to 1.32%.

A thiocyanate functionalized ionic liquid based electrolyte is developed for the application in CdSe thin film solar cell. An aqueous solvent consisting of polysulfide and thiocyanate functionalized IL has been found as the optimum solvent for preparing the liquid electrolytes. This solvent ratio appears to give higher cell efficiency compared to pure aqueous polysulfide electrolyte. Polysulfide and thiocyanate functionalized IL give rise to a good redox couple in the electrolyte for photoelectrochemical performance. The CdSe photoanode used for solar cell study has been synthesized by a simple and cost-effective one-step, one-pot chemical bath deposition method onto the F: SnO2 substrates. The as-deposited films were annealed at temperatures 100, 200, 300 and 400 °C, respectively for 1 h in ambient air. The maximum current density of 3.55 mA/cm2 for the sample annealed at 300 °C is observed in the polysulfide electrolyte with the power conversion efficiency 0.76%. Addition of thiocyanate functionalized IL in polysulfide produced the highest current density of 4.93 mA/cm2 with the two fold increase in the power conversion efficiency up to 1.32%.

Photoelectrochemical study CdSe in [BMIm][SCN] in polysulfide yielded increase in the power conversion efficiency 1.32% with highest current density 4.93 mA/cm2.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide