Date of Graduation
Fall 2014
Degree
Master of Science in Materials Science
Department
Physics, Astronomy, and Materials Science
Committee Chair
Kartik Ghosh
Abstract
An overwhelming need for renewable energy sources can be addressed by a better design of solar cells incorporating copper oxide (CuO) and zinc oxide (ZnO). The present study attempts to construct and characterize individual layers of 2D thin film reduced graphene oxide (RGO) based CuO/ZnO solar cells. Optically active nanostructured phase mixture of copper oxides was synthesized by an energy efficient hydrothermal technique. These nanostructures have a much better absorption coefficient than commercially available copper oxides with the widely used solar cell material, Si. The measured solar cell efficiency of these nanopowders with CuO/ZnO exceeds all the previously reported values for CuO/ZnO based solar cells. The synthesized RGO thin films have a remarkable charge carrier hall mobility and exhibit giant magneto resistant effects at room temperature. Molecular dynamics simulation studies also offer a better comprehension of the growth of RGO. This research elucidates the novel properties of nanostructured materials and 2D thin films which can lead to a better design of third generation solar cells.
Keywords
RGO, XRD, 2D thin film, Raman spectroscopy, nanostructures
Subject Categories
Materials Science and Engineering
Copyright
© Anagh Bhaumik
Recommended Citation
Bhaumik, Anagh, "An Atomistic Approach to Integrate Two-Dimensional Thin Film and Nanostructures for Solar Cell Application: Reduced Graphene Oxide and Copper Oxide Nanostructures" (2014). MSU Graduate Theses/Dissertations. 1604.
https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/1604
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