Copper oxide thin film and nanowire as a barrier in ZnO dye-sensitized solar cells (original) (raw)
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Journal of Nanoparticle Research, 2018
Developing efficient and cost-effective photoanode plays a vital role determining the photocurrent and photovoltage in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Here, we demonstrate DSSCs that achieve relatively high power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) by using one-dimensional (1D) zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires and copper (II) oxide (CuO) nanorods hybrid nanostructures. CuO nanorod-based thin films were prepared by hydrothermal method and used as a blocking layer on top of the ZnO nanowires' layer. The use of 1D ZnO nanowire/CuO nanorod hybrid nanostructures led to an exceptionally high photovoltaic performance of DSSCs with a remarkably high open-circuit voltage (0.764 V), short current density (14.76 mA/cm 2 under AM1.5G conditions), and relatively high solar to power conversion efficiency (6.18%). The enhancement of the solar to power conversion efficiency can be explained in terms of the lag effect of the interfacial recombination dynamics of CuO nanorod-blocking layer on ZnO nanowires. This work shows more economically feasible method to bring down the cost of the nano-hybrid cells and promises for the growth of other important materials to further enhance the solar to power conversion efficiency.
Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy, 2013
Two kind of CuO-ZnO nano composite working electrodes were synthesized by solgel technology and applied in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Their characteristics were studied by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectrum (DRS). CuO-ZnO nano composite thin films were prepared doctor blade technique on the fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) and used as working electrodes in dye sensitized solar cells (DSSC). Their photovoltaic behavior were compared with standard using D35 dye and an electrolyte containing [Co(bpy) 3 ](PF 6) 2 , [Co(pby) 3 ](PF 6) 3 , LiClO 4 , and 4-tertbutylpyridine (TBP). The ranges of short-circuit current (JSC) from 0.18 to 0.21 (mA/cm 2), open-circuit voltage (VOC) from 0.24 to 0.55 V, and fill factor from 0.34 to 0.39 were obtained for the DSSCs made using the working electrodes. The efficiency of the working electrodes after the addition of TBL was more than doubled. The light scattering and carrier transport properties of these composites promote the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs).
MRS Advances, 2017
In this work, the integration of ZnO-CuO core-shell nanostructures shows improvement in the conversion efficiency of ZnO-based dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). This is due to CuO acting as a secondary absorption layer that allows the absorption of nearinfrared (NIR) light increasing the generated photocurrent in the device, and as a blocking layer that reduces electron-hole recombination. The ZnO core and encapsulating CuO shell are synthesized through chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and thermal oxidation of a Cu seed layer, respectively. The crystallinity of the synthesized ZnO and CuO is analyzed by Xray diffraction (XRD). Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images show the change in morphology through the steps of Cu seed layer deposition and thermal oxidation of this layer. To determine optical properties of CuO on ZnO nanorods, UV-Vis-NIR photospectrocopy is used. The comparison of conversion efficiency of DSSCs using two different photoelectrodes (i.e. ZnO nanorods versus ZnO-CuO core-shell nanostructure) is performed by I-V measurements.
Nanomaterials
In this manuscript, a series of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were fabricated as a function of post-processing temperature based on mesoporous CuO@Zn(Al)O-mixed metal oxides (MMO) in conjunction with dye N719 as the main light absorber; the proposed CuO@Zn(Al)O geometry was, in turn, attained using Zn/Al-layered double hydroxide (LDH) as a precursor via combination of co-precipitation and hydrothermal techniques. In particular, the dye loading amount onto the deposited mesoporous materials was anticipated via regression equation-based UV-Vis technique analysis, which evidently demonstrated a robust correlation along with the fabricated DSSCs power conversion efficiency. In detail, of the DSSCs assembled, CuO@MMO-550 exhibited short-circuit current (JSC) and open-circuit voltage (VOC) of 3.42 (mA/cm2) and 0.67 (V) which result in significant fill factor and power conversion efficiency of 0.55% and 1.24%, respectively. This could mainly be due to the relatively high surface area ...
Structure and photovoltaic properties of ZnO nanowire for dye-sensitized solar cells
Nanoscale Research Letters, 2012
Aligned ZnO nanowires with different lengths (1 to approximately 4 μm) have been deposited on indium titanium oxide-coated glass substrates by using the solution phase deposition method for application as a work electrode in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC). From the results, the increases in length of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires can increase adsorption of the N3 dye through ZnO nanowires to improve the short-circuit photocurrent (J sc) and open-circuit voltage (V oc), respectively. However, the J sc and V oc values of DSSC with ZnO nanowires length of 4.0 μm (4.8 mA/cm 2 and 0.58 V) are smaller than those of DSSC with ZnO nanowires length of 3.0 μm (5.6 mA/cm 2 and 0.62 V). It could be due to the increased length of ZnO nanowires also resulted in a decrease in the transmittance of ZnO nanowires thus reducing the incident light intensity on the N3 dye. Optimum power conversion efficiency (η) of 1.49% was obtained in a DSSC with the ZnO nanowires length of 3 μm.
Micromachines
This paper reports on the synthesis of ZnO nanowires (NWs), as well asthe compound nanostructures of nanoparticles (NPs) and nanowires (NWs+NPs) with different coating layers of NPs on the top of NWs and their integration in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). In compound nanostructures, NWs offer direct electrical pathways for fast electron transfer, and the NPs of ZnOdispread and fill the interstices between the NWs of ZnO, offering a huge surface area for enough dye anchoring and promoting light harvesting. A significant photocurrent density of 2.64 mA/cm2 and energy conversion efficiency of 1.43% was obtained with NWs-based DSSCs. The total solar-to-electric energy conversion efficiency of the NWs+a single layer of NPs was found to be 2.28%, with a short-circuit photocurrent density (JSC) of 3.02 mA/cm2, open-circuit voltage (VOC) of 0.74 V, and a fill factor (FF) of 0.76, which is 60% higher than that of NWs cells and over 165% higher than NWs+a triple layer of NPs-based DSSCs....
Oxide p-n Heterojunction of Cu2O/ZnO Nanowires and Their Photovoltaic Performance
Journal of Nanomaterials, 2013
Oxide p-n heterojunction devices consisting of p-Cu2O/n-ZnO nanowires were fabricated on ITO/glass substrates and their photovoltaic performances were investigated. The vertically arrayed ZnO nanowires were grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition, which was followed by the electrodeposition of the p-type Cu2O layer. Prior to the fabrication of solar cells, the effect of bath pH on properties of the absorber layers was studied to determine the optimal condition of the Cu2O electrodeposition process. With the constant pH 11 solution, the Cu2O layer preferred the (111) orientation, which gave low electrical resistivity and high optical absorption. The Cu2O (pH 11)/ZnO nanowire-based solar cell exhibited a higher conversion efficiency of 0.27% than the planar structure solar cell (0.13%), because of the effective charge collection in the long wavelength region and because of the enhanced junction area.
Efficient solid-state dye-sensitized n-ZnO/D-358 dye/p-CuI solar cell
Electrochimica Acta, 2013
This paper describes the preparation and characterization of FTO/TiO 2 dense layer/ZnO nanoporous layer/D-358 Dye/CuI hole collector/Cr-coated FTO and FTO/ZnO dense layer/ZnO nanoporous layer/D-358 Dye/CuI hole collector/Cr-coated FTO dye-sensitized solid-state solar cells. The variations of the solar cell parameters on the thickness of the TiO 2 or ZnO dense layer are described. As the thickness (and hence the sheet resistance) of the TiO 2 dense layer is increased, the conversion efficiency is gradually increased up to 2.6% at a sheet resistance of 370.0 / and beyond which it decreases. At this optimum thickness of the TiO 2 dense layer, the best conversion efficiency is obtained when the thickness of the ZnO nanoporous layer is 15 m. Use of ZnO dense layer instead of TiO 2 dense layer also shows the similar trend of variation of solar cell parameters as the thickness of the dense layer is increased. The best conversion efficiency of 3.2% is obtained when the sheet resistance of the ZnO dense layer is 2500 / and the thickness of the ZnO porous layer is 15 m.
International Journal of Photoenergy, 2013
Triphenylene diamine sensitizer comprising donor, electron conducting, and anchoring group is synthesized for a potential application in dye-sensitized solar cells. Absorption spectrum, electrochemical and photovoltaic properties of triphenylene diamine have been investigated. Two different electrodes are used for dye-sensitized solar cells. The performances of ZnO nanorod electrodes are compared to ZnO : CdO nanocomposite electrode. Also, the theoretical calculations for HOMO and LUMO orbitals are used to estimate the photovoltaic properties of organic sensitizer in the design stage. ZnO : CdO nanocomposite electrode-based dye-sensitized solar cell sensitized with organic sensitizer exhibits higher efficiencies than ZnO nanorod electrode. For a typical device, a solar energy conversion efficiency (η) of 0.80 based on ZnO : CdO nanocomposite is achieved under simulated AM 1.5 solar irradiation (100 mW cm−2) with a short circuit photocurrent density (Jsc) of 3.10 mA/cm2, an open-circ...