Current Photovoltaic Research ISSN:2288-3274(Print) 2508-125X(Online)

Over the last two decades, quantum dot (QD) solar cells have attracted much attention due to the unique properties of QDs, including band gap tunability, slow hot electron cooling, and multiple exiton generation effect. However, most of the QDs employed in photovoltaic devices contain toxic heavy-metals such as cadmium or lead, which may limit the commercial application. Therefore, recently, heavy-metal-free QDs such as Cu-In-S or Cu-In-Se have been developed for application in solar cells. Here, we review the research trends in heavy-metal-free QD solar cells, mainly focusing on Cu-In-Se QD-sensitized solar cells (QDSC).