Due to its various advantages, colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) carry a prodigious deal of
interest in low-cost photovoltaics. The possibility of tailored band gaps via quantum confinement
effect facilitates photovoltaic devices to be tuned to allow their optical absorption bandwidths to
match with the solar spectrum. Size, shape, and material composition are some of the significant
factors which affect the optical and electronic properties of QDs. Scanning Electron Microscope
(SEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) are some
of the most resourceful methods available for the microstructural characteristics of solid materials.
These techniques can provide useful information about the structural, morphological and compositional
properties of the specimen. In this focused review, we analyze the several types of QDs, their
synthesis and characterization, exclusively morphological studies carried out on quantum dots for
solar cell applications. Despite various advantages and techniques used for morphological characterization
of QDs, very few reviews are reported in the past years. In this review, we have compiled the
important and latest findings published on morphological analysis of QDs for photovoltaic applications
which can provide the guideline for the research for the future work in the field.
Ag2ZnSnS4–ZnS core–shell colloidal quantum dots: a near-infrared luminescent material based on environmentally friendly elements