Abstract
Polycrystalline silicon solar cells modified using biomass resources are promising candidates to accomplish the goal of carbon neutrality. Developing a device with high power conversion efficiency (PCE) is important to resolve the ever-increasing energy shortage issues. Therefore, we develop a facile solution-casting approach to synthesise ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) films modified with ultra-high fluorescent carbon quantum dots (CQDs). The films were coated on the surface of polycrystalline silicon solar cells and the PCE increased from 13.19% to 13.65%. The ultra-high fluorescent CQDs were prepared from Ginkgo biloba via a hydrothermal process, and different parts of Ginkgo biloba-based CQDs were investigated in various conditions. The ultra-high fluorescent CQDs obtained at 180 °C, 8 h and a reaction concentration of 0.048 g/mL from Ginkgo wood resulted in high fluorescence of up to 976.74 a.u.. At an excitation wavelength of 365 nm. This work substantially expands the potential of EVA films containing ultra-high fluorescent CQDs for applications in the photovoltaic, environment and energy fields.
•A facile solution-casting approach was utilised to synthesise CQDs/EVA films.•Ultra-high fluorescent CQDs were synthesised via hydrothermal processes.•Ginkgo wood has higher fluorescent properties than bark and leaf.•The CQDs/EVA films show high photovoltaic efficiency of 13.61%.•The CQDs/EVA films can potentially be used as photovoltaic materials.