Polycrystalline n-PbxCd1-xS mixed electrodes for photoelectrochemical (PEC) solar cells

The electrochemical behaviour of a polycrystalline mixed n-PbXCd1-XS thin him electrode has been investigated. The electrode composition parameter, x, was varied from 0 to 0.2. A photoelectrochemical cell of the configuration n-PbxCd1-xS/Na2S-S-NaOH/C was formed, and the I-V and C-V characteristics were examined to understand the nature of the charge transfer process across the electrode/electrolyte interface. The cell was illuminated by a 50 mW/cm(-2) light intensity, and the power output curves (versus SCE) have been obtained and analysed for all the photoelectrode compositions. The short circuit current (I-sc) is found to be enhanced, whereas the open circuit voltage (V-oc) remains more or less the same. The power conversion efficiency (eta%) and form factor (ff%) were found to be improved, typically they are 0.833% and 30%, respectively, for a photoelectrode composition with x = 0.075. The flat band potential (V-fb) is also higher for this composition. The results are explained on the basis of the modified properties of the photoelectrode material.