Potential photocell based on cobalt sulfide quantum dots and nano-graphene oxide for energy applications

Abstract Climate change and all environmental advances have caused much worry in society. Then, the development of sustainable materials using materials from renewable sources is a great challenge. In this sense, various sources have been implemented for energy applications, like solar energy, using a diversity of materials, including graphene oxide. Therefore, the decorating process of graphene using different semiconductor nanoparticles has been performed to improve their performance in different technologies. In this sense, present research has evaluated the production of a new photocell system using ITO (In 2 O 3 /SnO 2 ) loaded nanographene oxide and cobalt sulfide quantum dots (CoS QD) for potential energy applications. Spectroscopy analysis (FTIR, Raman, UV Vis), X-ray diffraction, and morphological analysis (SEM, TEM, BET) were used to characterize this system. The results showed that the CoS presented a size of 3 nm with good electrical potential for application in energy areas, demonstrating a low-cost and environmentally friendly chemical route. In addition, the chemical groups that stabilized the CoS QD were the carboxylates. Moreover, the photocell system was conducted well, changing the radiation absorption spectrum of the photocell. Furthermore, photocell production provided a potential application of these materials to renewable energy sources.