Unveiling thermal influences: Enhancing light harvesting, electrocatalysis, and charge storage in [Ce-Pr-Nd]:CsPbI<inf>2.0</inf>Br<inf>1</inf>.<inf>0</inf> perovskite semiconductor

Abstract

Current investigation has for the first time explored the triply doped CsPbI2.0Br1.0 perovskite hetero-system using (cerium-praseodymium-neodymium)-oxide (CPN-CPVSK) as impurity doping. For a duration of 28 days, the CPN-CPVSK's optical activities persisted, and their band gap energy ranged from 1.66 to 1.68 eV. The produced perovskite thin films showed a smoother shape and a tighter adhesion to the conductive substrate with the cubic phase. A light-trapping layer called CPN-CPVSK was incorporated into a perovskite solar cell. The champion device, which is made up of it, demonstrated an overall remarkable photovoltaic performance with an efficiency of 16.81 % and a fill factor of 72 %. The H2 generating activity of CPN-CPVSK shined in the electro-catalytic experiment, resulting in a lower Tafel slope value of 119.4 mV dec−1 and 141 mV, respectively, due to the lower overpotential. Additionally, this electro-catalyst stayed intact for a whole hour inside the electrolyte environment. With a unit capacity of 644.4 mAh/g, lanthanide-modified perovskite material has also demonstrated promise for charge storage, exhibiting conventional battery-like behavior. Outstanding redox activity and reduced resistance are signs of a flawless chemical coupling that is made possible by doping perovskite material with lanthanides in an easy, affordable, and sustainable way.