Md. Rakib Hasan¹, Afrina Sharmin², Mimi Mondal^1,3, Md. Ahasan Habib¹, Rinku Majumder¹, Muhammad Shahriar Bashar^2,*, Md. Salahuddin Mina^1,*

Chalcogenide Letters, Vol.23, No.3, 2026, DOI:10.32604/cl.2026.079270 - 03 April 2026

Abstract In this work, spin-coated Cu₂ZnSnS₄ (CZTS) thin films with systematically varied thicknesses were investigated to understand their influence on structural, compositional, and optical properties relevant to high-performance photovoltaic applications. CZTS absorber layers were fabricated using a sol-gel spin-coating technique, which offers simplicity, low cost, and excellent thickness control, followed by annealing at 450°C under a nitrogen atmosphere to promote crystallization and phase formation. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed that films with a thickness of approximately 608 nm exhibited the highest crystallinity and a preferred orientation along the (112) plane, indicating enhanced structural order and improved grain… More >

Yuzhe Gu¹, Wenwu Wang^1,2, Guanggen Zeng^1,2, Xia Hao^2,3, Lili Wu^1,2, Jingquan Zhang^1,2,*

Chalcogenide Letters, Vol.23, No.3, 2026, DOI:10.32604/cl.2026.079159 - 03 April 2026

Abstract Doping the absorber layer is a critical process for enhancing the performance of polycrystalline CdSeTe solar cells. Replacing traditional Cu doping with Group V dopants offers a pathway to fabricate devices with improved efficiency and stability. However, the dopant activation rate in polycrystalline structures remains low, typically only a few percent. While rapid thermal annealing (RTA) has been successfully employed to achieve high activation rates in single-crystal CdTe devices, its application to polycrystalline CdSeTe solar cells has been scarcely reported. In this study, we systematically applied multi-step annealing to investigate the dopant activation of in-situ As-doped More > Graphic Abstract

Ruqayah A. Ulwali, Nada K. Abbas^*

Chalcogenide Letters, Vol.23, No.3, 2026, DOI:10.32604/cl.2026.078934 - 03 April 2026

Abstract In this study, zinc sulfide nanoparticles (ZnS NPs) and zinc sulfide @ Silver sulfide core-shells (ZnS@Ag₂S NPs) were prepared using the green method with mint leaf extract as a reducing and coating agent, at varying concentrations of silver nitrate (AgNO₃) (0.005, 0.01, and 0.02 M). X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) results showed the formation of a cubic phase of ZnS NPs and a monoclinic phase of Ag₂S with increasing silver nitrate concentration. The average crystalline size of ZnS NPs was calculated to be 2.01 nm and (2.78, 2.65, and 2.13 nm) after Ag₂S formation, while the shell (Ag₂S) was… More >

Wei Kang^1,*, Juan Jin²

Chalcogenide Letters, Vol.23, No.3, 2026, DOI:10.32604/cl.2026.077859 - 03 April 2026

Abstract A sulfate–chloride electrolyte was used to deposit alloy layers on AISI 1018 coupons while co-introducing ZnS nanoparticles (5–20 g/L) to tune microstructure and durability under combined saline exposure and dry sliding. Cross-sectional SEM confirmed continuous deposits of ~24–26 μm, and XRD indicated γ-phase dominance with pronounced grain refinement: crystallite size decreased from 42 ± 3 nm (particle-free) to 28 ± 2 nm at 15 g/L. In 3.5 wt% NaCl, polarization data showed a progressive ennoblement of E_corr from −1.032 to −0.981 V (vs. SCE) together with a reduction of i_corr from 8.47 to 1.82 μA/cm² at 15… More >

Soheib Dakhelullah Alsahafi^*

Chalcogenide Letters, Vol.23, No.3, 2026, DOI:10.32604/cl.2026.077336 - 03 April 2026

Abstract In this study, a novel double-heterojunction perovskite solar cell (DHPSC) with the following structure: FTO/ZnO/CH₃NH₃PbI_3−xCl_x/CH₃NH₃SnI₃/p⁺⁺ZnTe/Au was designed. It was optimized using the wxAMPS simulation software. A systematic parametric analysis was performed to investigate the influence of electron transport layer (ETL) ZnO and hole transport layer (HTL) thicknesses on photovoltaic performance. That includes short-circuit current density (J_sc), open-circuit voltage (V_oc), fill factor (FF), and power conversion efficiency (η). The results indicate that once a minimum ZnO thickness is achieved, further increases have a negligible effect on performance. Whereas variations in ZnTe thickness markedly influence V_oc and η. The optimal configuration More >

Preetha K. C.^1,2,*, Bini S.²

Chalcogenide Letters, Vol.23, No.3, 2026, DOI:10.32604/cl.2026.076854 - 03 April 2026

Abstract The increasing depletion of fossil fuels and the escalation of global temperatures have intensified the need for sustainable energy sources such as solar power. Copper Zinc Sulphide (CuZnS) is a potential absorber for solar cells. This study reports the structure and composition of annealed CuZnS samples using X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) analysis technique. CuZnS thin films prepared using low-cost chemical bath deposition (CBD) technique are annealed at 100°C, 200°C, and 300°C. The samples are analysed using Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), UV Visible NIR spectroscopy (UV-VIS) and Hall… More >

Naoual Houaidji¹, Kenza Kamli^2,*, Zakaria Hadef², Houssem Eddine Chouial³, Marwa Bendaia¹

Chalcogenide Letters, Vol.23, No.3, 2026, DOI:10.32604/cl.2026.076383 - 03 April 2026

Abstract We present a systematic investigation of FeS₂ thin films deposited by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis (USP) at different deposition times (15–40 min), with the aim of understanding their structural, optical, and electrical evolution and their suitability for heterojunction device applications. Particular attention is given to the integration of the optimized FeS₂ layer with a Co-doped SnS₂ bottom layer to form a p–n heterojunction. Structural analysis by X-ray diffraction reveals a transition from an amorphous/oxidized phase at short deposition times toward well-crystallized pyrite after 25 min, while the 40-min film exhibits the most intense reflections and the largest crystallite… More >

M. A. Al-Maghrabi^*

Chalcogenide Letters, Vol.23, No.2, 2026, DOI:10.32604/cl.2026.078794 - 28 February 2026

Abstract The present study investigates the influence of lead incorporation on the crystallization kinetics and thermal behavior of Se_87.5Te₁₀Pb_2.5 glass prepared by the melt-quenching technique and characterized by differential scanning calorimetry over heating rates of 5–99 K·min⁻¹. Nonisothermal kinetic parameters were evaluated using model-free isoconversional methods, namely the Friedman and Vyazovkin approaches, while the Matusita model was employed to gain insight into the crystallization dimensionality. Complementary isothermal simulations were used to support the kinetic interpretations. The apparent activation energy exhibits a systematic decrease with increasing temperature and crystallized fraction, suggesting a multi-stage crystallization process. At lower temperatures,… More >

Donghyeon Lee^#, Jiu Kim^#, Yong-Wook Jeong^#, Miso Shin, Yong Jin Jeong^*

Chalcogenide Letters, Vol.23, No.2, 2026, DOI:10.32604/cl.2026.077885 - 28 February 2026

Abstract Silver tellurides (Ag–Te) are promising low-temperature thermoelectric materials because their transport properties can be tuned by subtle compositional variations and nanostructuring. Here, we report a stirring-assisted hydrothermal route that enables controlled synthesis of n-type and p-type Ag–Te nanostructures by adjusting the Ag:Te precursor ratio and hydrodynamic conditions. Samples with Ag:Te ratios of 2:1 (Ag2/Te1) and 1:2 (Ag1/Te2) were synthesized at 120°C for 12 h, varying the stirring speed from 0 to 2000 rpm. X-ray diffraction confirms Ag₂Te as the dominant phase for Ag2/Te1 across all conditions, while Te-rich Ag1/Te2 forms a composite mainly consisting of Te More >

Jun Zhang, Jiayi Song, Wangjian Fu, Jiren Yuan^*

Chalcogenide Letters, Vol.23, No.2, 2026, DOI:10.32604/cl.2026.077226 - 28 February 2026

Abstract Tandem solar cells employing lead-free perovskite materials offer a compelling pathway to simultaneously achieve high power conversion efficiency (PCE) and improved environmental sustainability. In this work, we present a comprehensive numerical simulation study of monolithic and mechanically stacked tandem solar cells based on the chalcogenide perovskite BaZrS₃ as the top subcell and Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ (CIGS) as the bottom subcell. For the four-terminal (4-T) configuration, a systematic optimization workflow was implemented, encompassing the thickness of absorber and carrier-transport layers, doping concentrations, and the introduction of a LiF anti-reflection coating. This approach led to a marked reduction in parasitic… More >