Nanostructured Solar Cells as Sustainable Optoelectronic Device

Owing to the strong interest in sustainable and renewable energy in the past recent years, the solar cell industry has grown vastly. Conventional solar cells are simply not efficient enough and are expensive to manufacture for large-scale electricity generation. There are potential and sustainable advancements in nanotechnology that have opened the door to the production of efficient nanostructured optoelectronics. Nanotechnology has depicted tremendous breakthroughs in the field of solar technology. Nanomaterials and quantum dots (QDs) have proved to be potential candidates in the field of solar cells. Nanotechnology is able to enhance the efficiency of solar cells, meanwhile helping in the reduction of manufacturing costs. Photovoltaics (PVs) based on inorganic, organic, and polymer materials are designed and synthesized with the aim of reducing cost per watt, even if it declines reliability and conversion efficiency. Such PVs absorb sunlight more efficiently with wider absorption spectra which also show better conversion of power to efficiency. Herein, we have highlighted nanoparticles based on inorganic, organic, or graphene-based functional materials, which exhibit enhanced physicochemical properties along with excellent surface-to area ratio to be used as nanostructured thin layers coated with solar cell panels. Utilizing nanotechnology in developing low-cost and efficient solar cells would help to preserve the environment.