Novel fabrication of copper nanowire/cuprous oxidebased semiconductor-liquid junction solar cells

Abstract

A Cu nanowire (NW)/cuprous oxide (Cu2O)-based semiconductor-liquid junction solar cell with a greatly enhanced efficiency and reduced cost was assembled. The Cu NWs function as a transparent electrode as well as part of the Cu NWs/ Cu2O coaxial structures, which remarkably benefit the charge separation. The best solar cell reached a conversion efficiency as high as 1.92% under a simulated AM1.5G illumination, which is 106 times higher than that of cells based on fluorine-doped tin oxide and Cu2O.