Indium free hybrid system of getting power conversion efficiency of dye sensitized solar cell fabricated using calcium ferrites on photoanode

Abstract

This work demonstrates the photovoltaic study of dye sensitised solar cells fabricated using the fluoride doped tin oxide and aluminium doped zinc oxide glass substrate as charge collectors for photoanode and counter electrodes respectively. Cocktail dye of betalain extracted from beetroot (Beta vulgaris) and chlorophyll extracted from spinach (Spinacia oleracea) was used as sensitiser and mixture of polyaniline and iodide-triiodide couple as electrolyte. Zr–Co co-substituted calcium hexaferrites with chemical composition Ca(ZrCo)xFe12−2xO19 (x = 0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0) were prepared and used on photoanode. Light absorption behavior of the dye was recorded using ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) spectrophotometer and binding of titanium oxide on photoanode was inferred by surface morphology of sheets using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Photovoltaic characteristics (J-V) were also determined. Highest power conversion efficiency of 3.20% was observed with one of the composition. An efficient, indium free and hybrid approach of dye sensitised solar cell fabrication was explored.