A Molten Salt Electrochemical Process for the Preparation of Cost-Effective p-Block (Coating) Materials

Solar energy applications rely heavily on p-block elements and transition metals. Silicon is, by far, the most commonly used material in photovoltaic cells accounts for about 85% of modules sold presently. Of late, thin film have gained momentum because their higher efficiencies. Most these devices are made out just five elements, namely, cadmium, tellurium, selenium, indium, gallium copper. The present manuscript describes an elegant inexpensive molten salt-based electrolytic process fabricating a tellurium-coated metallic substrate. A three-electrode set up was employed to coat iridium with tellurium from bath containing lithium chloride, oxide tetrachloride (LiCl-Li2O-TeCl4) at 650 °C duration ranging 30 120 min under galvanostatic mode. coating observed be thick, uniform, smooth homogeneous. Additionally, deposited did not chemically react substrate form intermetallic compounds, which is good feature standpoint device’s performance characteristics. process, being generic nature, shows potential manufacture both coated substates high-purity but also other elements.