Iron Pyrite in Photovoltaics: A Review on Recent Trends and Challenges

With an increase in energy demand and the depletion of conventional fuels, solar cells are emerging as an excellent alternative, providing a sustainable and clean source. Solar cells consisting of different materials have been introduced in recent years, and the overall performance defined by these materials has a lot of potential to increase. Transition metal dichalcogenides have gained significant importance due to their advantageous properties and promising potential. Iron disulfide or pyrite is one such material that has risen as a favorable material for photovoltaics cells owing to its suitable band gap, high absorption coefficient, and low cost. Not only this, the "earth abundance" and nontoxicity have also increased its prospects as a photovoltaic material. This study aims to review recent progress on the synthesis of pyrite and its utilization in photovoltaics. Different methods used for the synthesis of pyrite are reviewed followed by the properties of pyrite, the challenges that hinder its efficiency, and the possibilities of further research in this area.