Sensitized solar cell from type-II CdTe/CdSe core/shell nanocrystals synthesized without seed purification at low temperature

•Type-II CdTe/CdSe core/shell nanocrystals synthesized using straightforward method.•This is low temperature (∼80 °C), aqueous synthesis method without seed purification steps.•Type-II heterostructure nanocrystals augment charge separation of photo-generated carriers.•These core/shell nanocrystals used as sensitizers in photo-electrochemical cells.•Highest efficiency found using thickest shell nanocrystals is ∼2%.

Quicker and simpler chemical fabrication route is always desirable for synthesis of technologically important nanocrystals. Here we propose simple aqueous method for synthesis of type-II heterostructure of CdTe/CdSe core/shell nanocrystals without purification of CdTe seed at a relatively lower temperature of ∼80 °C. These core/shell nanocrystals show structural and optical properties comparable to the nanocrystals synthesized using purified CdTe seed nanocrystals. Longer photoluminescence lifetime with thicker shells are observed in such CdTe/CdSe core/shell heterostructures grown by both procedures which indicates more non-radiative decay channels are being added with increasing thickness of shell layer. Sensitized solar cells are fabricated using these good quality unpurified core/shell nanocrystals. We found that efficiency of solar cell is a strong function of shell thickness as the charge carrier separation is also function of shell thickness in these type-II heterostructure nanoparticles. The increment in short circuit current density in nanocrystals having thickest shell is ∼300% compared to the core–shell nanocrystals having the thinnest shell prepared by us. We also found that sintering of photo-anode sensitized with these CdTe/CdSe nanocrystals is very important for achieving higher efficiency. Calculated maximum efficiency of the solar cell fabricated using core/shell nanocrystals with thickest CdSe shell is ∼2% with JSC = 8.9 mA/cm2 and VOC = 0.53 V.