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Abstract: Copper sulfide (CuS) with nanosheet structure has been synthesized at a low temperature in situ on copper (Cu) film coated fluorine-doped tin oxide glass and bifacial quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs) were herein developed by using these CuS as counter electrodes (CEs). CuS is an environmental compatible and low toxic material. The obtained two-dimensional CuS nanosheet film presents high carrier mobility and exhibits highly catalytic performance for the polysulfide-based electrolyte. The QDSSC based on a CuS CE presents a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 3.65% by optimizing the thickness of the Cu film under front illumination. The QDSSC based on a CuS CE prepared with a 200 nm thick Cu film shows a very close PCE under front and rear illuminations in which the values are as high as 2.70% and 2.40%, respectively. All the PCEs of the CuS CEs are much higher than that of the Pt CE (1.34%). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Perovskite solar cells have developed rapidly in recent years as the third generation solar cells. In spite of the great improvement achieved, there still exist some issues such as undesired hysteresis and indispensable high temperature process. In this work, bulk heterojunction perovskite-phenyl-C 61 -butyric acid methyl ester solar cells have been prepared to diminish hysteresis using a facile two step spin-coating method. Furthermore, high quality tin oxide films are fabricated using pulse laser deposition technique at room temperature without any annealing procedure. The as fabricated tin oxide film is successfully applied in bulk heterojunction perovskite solar cells as a hole blocking layer. Bulk heterojunction devices based on room temperature tin oxide exhibit almost hysteresis-free characteristics with power conversion efficiency of 17.29% and 14.0% on rigid and flexible substrates, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]