Ti3C2Tx (MXene)-Silicon Heterojunction for Efficient Photovoltaic Cells

A novel type of solar cell has been developed based on charge separation at the heterojunction formed by a transparent conducting MXene electrode and an n-type silicon (n-Si) wafer. A thin layer of the native silicon dioxide plays an important role in suppressing the recombination of charge carriers. A two-step chemical treatment can increase the device efficiency by about 40%. Promisingly, an average power conversion efficiency of over 10% under simulated full sunlight is achieved for this novel class of solar cell with the application of an antireflection layer. The efficiencies of these novel solar cells based on a MXene-Si heterojunction achieved in this work point to great promise in emerging photovoltaic technology. In addition to their high efficiency, the excellent reproducibility of such devices establishes a solid base for possible future commercialization.