Nanostructured Cu2ZnSnS4 for solar-driven electricity and hydrogen

该项目旨在为两个用于发电和制氢的太阳能设备开发具有成本效益的Cu2ZnSnS4纳米晶。多年来，用于太阳能电池的铜锌锡硫化物(Cu2ZnSnS4)纳米颗粒的效率一直不到2%，光电化学器件最近得到了认可，但探索较少。结合对其纳米晶体的创新修饰，以及提高光吸收和光生载流子收集效率的颗粒生长方法，应该可以阐明这一问题的潜在机制，并提供解决方案，这一问题多年来一直困扰着上述领域的研究人员。由此产生的简单、成本效益高的太阳能电力和氢气装置应为实现太阳能的商业可行储存和解决全球能源和环境问题的目标作出重大贡献。

This project aims to develop cost-effective Cu2ZnSnS4 nanocrystals for two solar devices for electricity and hydrogen production. The copper-zinc-tin-sulphide (Cu2ZnSnS4) nanoparticle for solar cells has been less than two per cent efficient for years and photoelectrochemical devices have been recently recognised but less explored. The combined innovative modification of its nanocrystals, and grain growth approach for enhancing light absorption and photogenerated carrier collection efficiency should elucidate underlying mechanism of and provide solutions to the problem which has baffled researchers in above areas for several years. The intended resulting simple, cost-effective solar-driven electricity and hydrogen devices should make significant contributions to goals of commercially viable storage of solar energy and solutions to global energy and environment issues.