Global warming and environmental pollution due to the overuse and exploitation of fossil fuels are the main issues affecting humans’ well-being. Solar energy is considered to be one of the most promising candidates for providing human society with a clean and sustainable energy supply. Thin-film organic solar cells (TFOSCs) use organic semiconductors as light-absorbing layer materials. TFOSCs have attracted wide research interest due to several advantages, such as easy fabrication, affordability, light weight, and environmental friendliness. Over the years, TFOSCs have been dominated by donor–acceptor blends based on polymer donors and fullerene acceptors. However, a new class of non-fullerene acceptors (NFAs) has gained prominence in TFOSCs owing to their significant improvement in the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of non-fullerene-based devices. In this study, the One-Dimensional Solar Cell Capacitance Simulator (SCAPS-1D) numerical simulator was used to study the performance of a device with a configuration of FTO/PDINO/PBDB-T/ITIC/CFTS/Al. Here, the PBDB-T/ITIC polymer blend represents poly[(2,6-(4,8-bis(5-(2 ethylhexyl)thiophen-2-yl)benzo [1,2-b:4,5-b]dithiophene)-co-(1,3-di(5-thiophene-2-yl)-5,7-bis(2-ethylhexyl)benzo [1,2-c:4,5-c]dithiophene-4,8-dione)] (PBDB)/3,9-bis(2-methylene-(3-(1,1-dicyanomethylene)-indanone)-5,5,11,11-tetraki(4-hexylphenyl)-dithieno[2,3-d:2,3-d]-s-indaceno [1,2-b:5,6-b]dithiophene) (ITIC) and the non-fullerene acceptor (NFA) and serves as the absorber layer. The electron transport layer (ETL) was 2,9-Bis[3-(dimethyloxidoamino)propyl]anthra[2,1,9-def:6,5,10-d’e’f’]diisoquinoline-1,3,8,10(2H,9H)-tetrone (PDINO), and Cu₂FeSnS₄ (CFTS) was used as a hole transport layer (HTL). This research article aims to address the global challenges of environmental pollution and global warming caused by the overuse of fossil fuels by exploring alternative energy solutions. Upon optimization, the device achieved a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 16.86%, a fill factor (FF) of 79.12%, a short-circuit current density (J_SC) of 33.19 mA cm⁻², and an open-circuit voltage (V_OC) of 0.64 V. The results obtained can guide the fabrication of NFA-based TFOSCs in the near future.

Energy generation and storage are critical challenges for developing economies due to rising populations and limited access to clean energy resources. Fossil fuels, commonly used for energy production, are costly and contribute to environmental pollution through greenhouse gas emissions. Quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs) offer a promising alternative due to their stability, low cost, and high-power conversion efficiency (PCE) compared to other third-generation solar cells. Kesterite materials, known for their excellent optoelectronic properties and chemical stability, have gained attention for their potential as hole transport layer (HTL) materials in solar cells. In this study, the SCAPS-1D numerical simulator was used to analyze a solar cell with the configuration FTO/TiO₂/MoS₂/HTL/Ag. The electron transport layer (ETL) used was titanium dioxide (TiO₂), while Cu₂FeSnS₄ (CFTS), Cu₂ZnSnS₄ (CZTSe), Cu₂NiSnS₄ (CNTS), and Cu₂ZnSnSe₄ (CZTSSe) kesterite materials were evaluated as HTLs. MoS₂ quantum dot served as the absorber, with FTO as the anode and silver as the back metal contact. The CFTS material outperformed the others, yielding a PCE of 25.86%, a fill factor (FF) of 38.79%, a short-circuit current density (J_SC) of 34.52 mA cm⁻², and an open-circuit voltage (V_OC) of 1.93 V. This study contributes to the advancement of high-performance QDSSCs.