Abstract
A research study on the application of biomimetic ZnO (from eggshell membranes) as photoanodes in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) is presented. Biomimetic ZnO powder was produced and characterized. Its surface area, crystallinity, and morphology were analyzed and compared to commercial ZnO. Then, solar cells with and without dye were assembled using both the biomimetic and commercial oxides. On the dye-less cell, the oxide assumes the role of the photon absorber, while in the dye-sensitized cells, the oxide’s major function is the separation of the electron-hole pair and conduction of the electric charges formed. The characterization of the oxides showed that the biomimetic synthesis produced ZnO with a larger surface area, smaller crystallite size, and larger light absorption, possibly due to crystalline defects. SEM analysis on biomimetic ZnO revealed a tubular microstructure formed by nanocrystals, instead of the commercial powder showing spherical particles.
Highlights
The synthesis by biomimetization of eggshell membranes is a simple technique capable of producing powders of metallic oxides with hierarchical structures assembled by nanocrystals [1]
The possibility of obtaining ZnO with characteristics such as high surface area, the presence of light-absorbing crystalline defects, and small crystallite size [2] makes the application of these materials in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) promising
eggshell membranes (ESMs) are semipermeable materials with a high surface area and a structure composed of interconnected and interlaced biopolymer fibers, which are essential for eggshell mineralization [3]
Summary
The synthesis by biomimetization of eggshell membranes is a simple technique capable of producing powders of metallic oxides with hierarchical structures assembled by nanocrystals [1]. These functional groups can interact with precursor molecules, anchoring them to their surface where the formation of a coating may occur These characteristics have inspired scientists to use ESMs as a bio-template in a sol-gel process to obtain fibrous structures similar to ESMs composed of various oxides. The morphology of the semiconductor particles plays an important role in the operation of DSSCs. The use of one-dimensional structures, such as tubes, wires, and fibers, has recently attracted much attention as new morphologies for making photoactive layers in DSSCs. In addition to the improvement in electron transport, controlling the morphology of these nanomaterials can lead to a large surface area capable of absorbing larger amounts of dye [15] and increasing the unit surface photovoltaic efficiency
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