Design and characterization of micro–mesoporous NaP2 zeolite@CdTe nanocomposites for enhanced solar cell efficiency

Abstract

In this study, varying amounts of cadmium telluride (CdTe) quantum dots (0.12, 0.24, 0.48, and 0.96 g) were incorporated into a zeolite gel solution under hydrothermal conditions to synthesize NaP2 zeolite@CdTe nanocomposites. The resulting materials were characterized using FTIR, XRD, TGA, NH₃-TPD, PL, EDX-SEM, BET, DRS, and fluorescence optical microscopy. FTIR spectra and XRD patterns confirmed the crystalline structure of the zeolite, while BET analysis demonstrated the formation of a micro-mesoporous structure. SEM images indicated morphological changes in the zeolite, attributed to CdTe incorporation into its pores. DRS analysis revealed high light scattering properties, and the calculated bandgap of the nanocomposite (1.7 eV) showed a reduction compared to CdTe alone (2.06 eV). The absence of a peak at 580 nm in PL analysis confirmed the successful encapsulation of CdTe within the zeolite pores. NH₃-TPD analysis indicated a decrease in the number of acidic sites in the nanocomposite. The photovoltaic performance of these nanocomposites was evaluated in solar cells. The NaP2 zeolite@CdTe nanocomposite (0.48 g) achieved a fill factor of 0.5 and an efficiency of 2.5%, representing a 25% improvement over the reference cell (2.0%) and a 19% increase compared to other CdTe quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (2.1%).