Augmented photovoltaic and electrochemical performance of lanthanide (Ln3+ = Ce3+, Pr3+, and Nd3+) doped ZrO2 semiconductor material

Synthesis of energy efficient materials is the integral step towards tackling global energy crises in the current era. Present work elucidates the synthesis, characterization, and energy related applications of the lanthanides tri-doped zirconium semiconductor system comprising of Ln(3+) co-doped ZrO2 (Ln(3+) = Ce3+, Pr3+, and Nd3+). Synthesis has been done by adopting 5% doping strategy following chemical co-precipitation route. Precursors and thin films have been characterized via UV-Vis, FT-IR, XRD, and FE-SEM analysis. This material possessed a bandgap energy ranging between 3.6 and 4 eV and Baddeleyite monoclinic phase with 60 nm crystallite size exhibiting P2(1)/c space group with the Zr4+ bonded with seven O2- atoms leading to formation of pentagonal bipyramids of ZrO7. Thin films of Ln(3+) co-doped ZrO2 were marked by profound smoothness and maximum surface coverage. The scaffolding performance of the of Ln(3+) co-doped ZrO2 was investigated in cesium lead halide perovskite solar cell device, which excelled in gaining an efficiency of 14.1% with the 66% of fill factor. Synthesized material was also explored for electrical charge storage for supercapacitor application by decorating 80% of it on the nickel form current collector (area: 1 x 1 cm(2) and thickness: similar to 0.7 mm). The specific capacitance of this material exceeded the conventionally used materials by reaching up to 350.6 F g(-1) making it a potential electrode material with the stabilized electrochemical performance using 0.1 M NaCl as a supporting electrolyte. Impedance studies in this regard indicated faster reaction kinetics and lower smaller series resistance (R-s) of 1.9 Omega. Finally, this material was employed as a bifunctional electro-catalyst for oxygen and hydrogen evolution. With the lowest overpotential and Tafel slope values of 133 mV and 118.9 mV dec(-1), the developed electro-catalyst expressed more affinity as an HER electro-catalyst with the Volmer-HeyrovskATIN SMALL LETTER Y WITH ACUTE mechanistic pathway for hydrogen generation. Voltammteric, potentiometric, and amperometric electro-analyses exhibited the excellent durability and service life for 100 min inside 0.1 M alkaline electrolyte of the developed semiconductor material which can be commercialized after optimization.

Automated summary

This study focuses on the synthesis and characterization of lanthanides tri-doped zirconium semiconductor system for energy applications. The material exhibited a wide bandgap energy and a stable crystal structure, making it suitable for solar cells and supercapacitors. The material also showed excellent electrocatalytic activity for oxygen and hydrogen evolution reactions. This research has significant implications for addressing global energy crises.