Facile construction of low-cost flexible solar cells with p-type BiOI nanoflake arrays fabricated via oriented attachment

BiOI nanoflake arrays were fabricated on the ITO/PET substrate by modified successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method and served as p-type semiconductor materials for flexible solar cell. The morphologies of BiOI nanoflakes deposited on ITO/PET after different cycles of SILAR were analyzed and these nanoflakes were all in single crystalline structure. The growth process of BiOI nanoflake arrays was discussed and corresponding formation mechanism was proposed. The assembled dye-free BiOI/ITO/PET solar cell exhibited superior photovoltaic performance than that on FTO/glass substrate. In addition, the adhesion of BiOI to ITO/PET substrate was superior and the photocurrent of flexible solar cell was stable after bending test.

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► A dye-free flexible solar cell based on p-type BiOI nanoflake arrays.
► Oriented attachment was demonstrated to dominate the formation of BiOI nanoflakes.
► Solar cell possessed good stability of photocurrent as well as flexibility.
► A maximum IPCE of ∼6.5%.