  This study outlines the synthesis and physicochemical characteristics of a
solution-processable iron manganite (FeMnO3) nanoparticles via a chemical
combustion method using tartartic acid as a fuel and demonstrates the
performance of this material as a n-type photoactive layer in all-oxide solar
cells. It is shown that the solution combustion synthesis (SCS) method enables
the formation of pure crystal phase FeMnO3 with controllable particle size. XRD
pattern and morphology images from TEM confirm the purity of FeMnO3 phase and
the relative small crystallite size (~13 nm), firstly reported in the
literature. Moreover, to assemble a network of connected FeMnO3 nanoparticles,
\b{eta}-alanine was used as a capping agent and dimethylformamide (DMF) as a
polar aprotic solvent for the colloidal dispersion of FeMnO3 NPs. This
procedure yields a ~500 nm thick photoactive layer. The proposed method is
crucial to obtain functional solution processed NiO/FeMnO3 heterojunction
inorganic photovoltaics. The optoelectronic properties of the heterojunction
were established. These solar cells demonstrate a high open circuit voltage of
1.31 V with sufficient fill factor of 54.3% and low short circuit current of
0.07 mA cm-2 delivering a power conversion efficiency of 0.05% under 100 mW
cm-2 illumination. This work expands on the burgeoning of environmentally
friendly, low-cost, sustainable solar cell material that derive from metal
oxides.
