Electrochemical and photovoltaic properties of calcium silicate for energy device applications
摘要
In view of the application of wollastonite mineral, say Calcium Silicate (CaSiO3), for energy storage or conversion devices, the CaSiO3 material have been synthesized using simple precipitation method. The structural and morphological properties of the obtained material were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectra. The XRD results revealed the presence of single phase of CaSiO3 material. The surface morphology and elemental composition of CaSiO3 material were discussed using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) images and Energy-Dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX) spectrum. The FTIR and Raman spectrum confirmed the presence of functional groups like Si-O-Si, Ca-O, Si-O-Ca, and Si-OH. With help of UV-Vis-NIR spectrum, the optical absorption property was investigated and hence the direct and indirect optical band gap were derived. Electrochemical studies were carried out through cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and galvanostatic charge–discharge (GCD). The CaSiO3 coated electrode delivered a maximum specific capacitance of 587 F/g at the scan rate of 2 mV/s, according to the results of CV analysis. The GCD showed the specific Capacitance of 46 F/g at 2 A/g current density. The obtained specific capacitance values highlight the CaSiO3 material as a potential candidate. On the other hand, the results of photovoltaic studies revealed that when applied as a photoanode in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) with four different dyes, CaSiO₃ achieved a smaller efficiency and low fill factor. The poor results of photovoltaic measurements emphasize the importance of device optimization and calibrated illumination for achieving higher efficiencies and they also support the feasibility of using low-cost dyes for educational and preliminary research purposes.