Abstract
Room temperature sequential growth namely, successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method has been successfully processed towards the controlled growth of silver selenide (Ag2Se) nanoparticles onto one dimensional (1D) CdS nanowires (NWs) array. Well controlled size tuning enables well-aligned heterostructure yielding almost four times enhancement (0.34%) in power conversion efficiency compared to the bare CdS NWs (0.09%) in photoelectrochemical (PEC) solar cell assembly. Results are well equipped through structural, surface morphological, optical and elemental oxidation state in correlation with PEC solar cell, external quantum efficiency (EQE), Mott-Schottky (M - S), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) performances. Interestingly, sequential SILAR method produces extremely conformal coverage of Ag2Se layer with precise thickness control. The optimum mutualistic contribution from Ag2Se and CdS not only broaden the light absorption range but also allows the rapid separation of excited charge carriers at heterostructure interface.