Facile hydrothermal synthesis of Cu doped MoS2 nanoparticles for enhanced dye-sensitized solar cell performance

Abstract

This study presents a facile, scalable, and cost-effective hydrothermal method for synthesizing Cu doped MoS₂ nanoparticles as efficient counter electrodes for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). MoS₂ nanoparticles were doped with Cu at 5 and 10 mol% concentrations. The structural, morphological, and optoelectronic properties of the synthesized MoS₂:Cu nanoparticles were systematically characterized using a suite of microscopic and spectroscopic techniques. DSSCs were fabricated using pure MoS₂, MoS₂@Cu 5 mol%, and MoS₂@Cu 10 mol% as counter electrodes, and their photovoltaic performance was evaluated. The DSSC with pure MoS₂ counter electrode exhibited a short-circuit current density (Jsc) of 11.02 mA/cm², an open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 0.70 V, a fill factor (FF) of 70 %, and a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 5.39 %. The MoS₂@Cu 5 mol% electrode demonstrated enhanced performance with Jsc = 13.04 mA/cm², Voc = 0.71 V, FF = 72 %, and PCE = 6.55 %. Notably, the MoS₂@Cu 10 mol% electrode exhibited superior performance, achieving Jsc = 14.09 mA/cm², Voc = 0.73 V, FF = 81 %, and a remarkable PCE of 8.12 %. This significant enhancement in photovoltaic parameters is attributed to the improved photovoltaic performance and charge transport properties of the Cu doped MoS₂ nanoparticles. Our findings demonstrate the potential of Cu-doped MoS₂ as an effective and low-cost alternative to conventional counter electrode materials in DSSCs, paving the way for further optimization and scalable production of high-efficiency solar cells.