With the growing demand for renewable energy sources, the study of materials that can effectively absorb sunlight is becoming extremely relevant. Among the promising materials are compounds based on aluminum, copper, and iron (Al–Cu–Fe), which demonstrate interesting optical properties and potential for use in solar collectors and photovoltaic cells.
Al–Cu–Fe compounds can be synthesized by various methods, including arc melting, mechanical alloying, and sol-gel technology. The resulting materials have a complex microstructure that affects their optical properties. An important parameter is the ratio of the Al, Cu, and Fe components, which determines the phase composition and, therefore, the spectral absorption characteristics.
Al–Cu–Fe compounds are characterized by a broad absorption spectrum in the visible and infrared regions, which makes them attractive for solar energy capture. The absorption is due to both internal electronic transitions in the material and surface plasmon resonances. The absorption efficiency can be optimized by selecting the composition, microstructure, and surface texture of the material.
Al–Cu–Fe compounds have several advantages, including relatively low cost, availability of components, and high corrosion resistance. This makes them promising candidates for use in solar collectors and thermophotovoltaic generators. Further research is aimed at improving absorption efficiency and developing cost-effective production methods.
This paper explores the potential of using Al64Cu25Fe11 alloy to improve the solar absorption efficiency when used as a mesoporous layer material in dye-based solar cells, replacing traditionally used materials. The alloy is created using high-energy ball milling, a mechanized alloying process that provides intense mixing of the elements at the atomic level. Subsequent heat treatment promotes the formation and growth of the icosahedral phase, which has unique microstructure and optical properties.
These characteristics, along with the electrical properties of the Al–Cu–Fe alloy, are compared with those of titanium dioxide, a widely used mesoporous material in solar cells, in order to find an alternative to the scarce and expensive titanium dioxide. The results of microstructural, thermal, electrical, and optical analysis of the mechanically alloyed alloy are presented to comprehensively study and confirm this hypothesis.
Author: Abdul Hai Alami,Afra Alketbi,Jehad Abed,Mira Almheiri
Institute: Department of Sustainable and Renewable Energy, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates