Energy Materials for Solar Cells: From Preparation to Applications

Dear Colleagues,

As a clean and sustainable renewable energy, solar cells are expected to play a bigger role in meeting the carbon peak and carbon neutral target. Compared to commercially dominant, silicon-based solar cells, thin film solar cells have many advantages in new applications, such as building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), portable and wearable devices, and the Internet of Things (IOTs). To meet the requirements for commercialization, innovations in developments of new materials, reproducible and cost-effective materials preparation, and new theories are necessary. 

This Special Issue aims to report recent progress on the preparation of semiconducting materials for application in thin film solar cells. The topics of this Special Issue cover chalcopyrite, kesterite, antimony chalcogenides, bismuth sulfide, and other emerging thin film solar cells. The main focus of this Special Issue is materials preparation and characterization, including light-absorbing layer, buffer layer, window layer, and interface layer. Progress on the development of new concepts and review articles is also welcome.

Prof. Dr. Hao Xin
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• thin film solar cell
• energy conversion efficiency
• device stability
• material and device simulation
• solution deposition
• physical vapor deposition
• kesterite
• chalcopyrite
• antimony chalcogenides
• bismuth sulfide
• chalcogenides
• defect property