Chemical Reviews paper - Assoc Prof Lydia Helena Wong

We are pleased to share Associate Professor Lydia Helena Wong's 2022 review paper titled "Emerging Chalcogenide Thin Films for Solar Energy Harvesting Devices", which was published in Chemical Reviews. 

Abstract

Chalcogenide semiconductors offer excellent optoelectronic properties for their use in solar cells, exemplified by the commercialization of Cu(In,Ga)Se2- and CdTe-based photovoltaic technologies. Recently, several other chalcogenides have emerged as promising photoabsorbers for energy harvesting through the conversion of solar energy to electricity and fuels. The goal of this review is to summarize the development of emerging binary (Sb2X3, GeX, SnX), ternary(Cu2SnX3, Cu2GeX3, CuSbX2, AgBiX2), and quaternary (Cu2ZnSnX4, Ag2ZnSnX4, Cu2CdSnX4, Cu2ZnGeX4, Cu2BaSnX4) chalcogenides (X denotes S/Se), focusing especially on the comparative analysis of their optoelectronic performance metrics, electronic band structure, and point defect characteristics. The performance limiting factors of these photoabsorbers are discussed, together with suggestions for further improvement. Several relatively unexplored classes of chalcogenide compounds (such as chalcogenide perovskites, bichalcogenides, etc.) are highlighted, based on promising early reports on their optoelectronic properties. Finally, pathways for practical applications of emerging chalcogenides in solar energy harvesting are discussed against the backdrop of a market dominated by Si-based solar cells.

The article can be found via this link: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00301 

About Chemical Reviews

Chemical Reviews is a peer-reviewed scientific journal published by the American Chemical Society (ACS). It is one of the most highly regarded and highest-ranked journals covering the general topic of chemistry. The mission of Chemical Reviews is to provide comprehensive, authoritative, critical, and readable reviews of important recent research in organic, inorganic, physical, analytical, theoretical, and biological chemistry. In addition to the general reviews, the journal has published since 1985 periodic thematic issues focusing on a single theme or direction of emerging research. The journal has a 2021 impact factor of 72.087.