Fabrication of High Efficiency Dye-Sensitised Solar Cell with Zirconia-Doped TiO2 Nanoparticle and Nanowire Composite Photoanode Film

D. Maheswari; P. Venkatachalam

doi:10.1071/CH14364

RESEARCH ARTICLE

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Fabrication of High Efficiency Dye-Sensitised Solar Cell with Zirconia-Doped TiO₂ Nanoparticle and Nanowire Composite Photoanode Film

D. Maheswari ^A and P. Venkatachalam ^B ^C

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A Research & Development Center, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu 641046, India.

^B Department of Physics (DDE), Annamalai University, Annamalainagar, Tamil Nadu 608 002, India.

^C Corresponding author. Email: pvchalamphyamu@yahoo.co.in

Australian Journal of Chemistry 68(6) 881-888 https://doi.org/10.1071/CH14364
Submitted: 7 June 2014 Accepted: 26 August 2014 Published: 5 November 2014

Abstract

Dye-sensitised solar cells (DSSCs) were fabricated based on coumarin NKX-2700 dye-sensitised zirconia-doped TiO₂ nanoparticle and nanowire composite photoanode film and quasi-solid-state electrolyte, sandwiched together with cobalt sulfide-coated counter electrode. Novel photoanodes were prepared using composite mixtures of 90 wt-% TiO₂ nanoparticles + 10 wt-% TiO₂ nanowires (TNPWs) as base material and zirconia as doping metal. Hafnium oxide (HfO₂) was applied on the zirconia-doped TNPWs (zirconia/TNPWs) film structure as a blocking layer. TiO₂ nanoparticles, TiO₂ nanowires, and zirconia/TNPWs were characterised by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The sensitising organic dye coumarin, NKX-2700, displayed maximum absorption wavelength (λ_max) at 525 nm, which could be observed from the UV-visible spectrum. DSSC-1 built with zirconia/TNPWs-doped photoanode with blocking layer revealed enhanced photo-current efficiency (PCE) as compared with other DSSCs and illustrated photovoltaic parameters: short circuit current J_SC = 20 mA m^–2, open circuit voltage (V_OC = 730 mV, fill factor (FF) = 68 %, and PCE (η) = 9.93 %. The electron transport and charge recombination behaviours of DSSCs were investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and the results exhibited that DSSC-1 possessed the lowest charge transfer resistance (R_rec) and longest electron lifetime (τ_rec) compared with other DSSCs. Therefore, from the present investigation, it could be concluded that the improved performance of DSSC-1 is ascribed to the zirconia/TNPWs-doped photoanode with the blocking layer increasing the short circuit current, electron transport, and suppressing the recombination of charge carriers at the photoanode/dye/electrolyte interface.

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Fabrication of High Efficiency Dye-Sensitised Solar Cell with Zirconia-Doped TiO2 Nanoparticle and Nanowire Composite Photoanode Film

Abstract

References

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Fabrication of High Efficiency Dye-Sensitised Solar Cell with Zirconia-Doped TiO₂ Nanoparticle and Nanowire Composite Photoanode Film