Abstract
A cotton-like ZnO/SnO2 nanocomposite was grown by the carbothermal evaporation of a mixture of ZnO and SnO2 powders at 1100°C by the vapour-liquid-solid process, in which the Sn particles produced by the reduction of SnO2 act as the catalyst. Field-emission scanning electron microscope images suggest that the composites are made of microfibre-nanowire junction arrays. The structure is formed due to the fast growth of the ZnO microfibre and the subsequent epitaxial radial growth of the ZnO nanowires with Sn particles at the tips. The photovoltaic performance of the ZnO/SnO2 nanocomposite sensitized with a D35-cpdt dye was investigated. A dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) with a ZnO/SnO2 nanocomposite photoanode based on a cobalt electrolyte achieved a solar-to-electricity conversion efficiency of ~0.34% with a short circuit current (JSC) of 0.66 mA/cm2, an open circuit voltage (VOC) of 870 mV, and a fill factor (FF) of 59. The results show the potential of this one dimensional structure in cobalt electrolyte-based DSSCs; the further optimization which is needed to achieve higher efficiencies is also discussed.
Highlights
Over the past decade, one-dimensional (1D) ZnO nanomaterials have been extensively studied, since both their functional properties and highly controllable morphology make them important building blocks for understanding nanoscale phenomena and in achieving nanoscale devices [1,2]
This study addresses the synthesis of a ZnO/SnO2 (ZSO) nanocomposite by the carbothermal evaporation method
We synthesized a novel cotton-like ZSO nanocomposite by the carbothermal evaporation method
Summary
One-dimensional (1D) ZnO nanomaterials have been extensively studied, since both their functional properties and highly controllable morphology make them important building blocks for understanding nanoscale phenomena and in achieving nanoscale devices [1,2]. Dyesensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were introduced by Grätzel in 1991 as a molecular device for converting sunlight into electrical current [14] They are relatively cheap, environmentally friendly and have good indoor efficiencies compared to organic photovoltaic cells. Even though the conversion efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells is lower than that of some other thin-film cells, their price-to-performance ratio is sufficient to make them an important player in the solar market, in building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) applications. They are among the most efficient third-generation solar technology available [15,16,17]. The further optimization which is needed to achieve higher efficiencies is discussed
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