Enhanced performance of Ag-doped ZnO and pure ZnO thin films DSSCs prepared by sol-gel spin coating

Abstract

ABSTRACTPure and Ag-doped ZnO photoelectrodes were successfully synthesized by sol-gel spin coating and applied in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Ag dopant concentration varied from 0 wt% to 17.13 wt% over weight of ZnO. The structural, morphological, and optical properties of thin films are studied by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and UV-vis spectrophotometer, respectively. The reduction in band gap is observed upon doping, and the highest reduction (from 3.28 to 2.65 eV) is achieved at 10.3 wt%. The conversion efficiency of DSSC is also enhanced by 3.57 times with Ag:ZnO (10.3 wt%) than with pure ZnO film.