Influence on electrochemical impedance and photovoltaic performance of natural DSSC using Terminalia catappa based on Mg-doped ZnO photoanode

Abstract

In this paper, we report the successful fabrication of a novel dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSCs) using Mg doped ZnO as photoanode and natural dye Terminalia catappa as sensitizer. We synthesized Mg doped ZnO nanoparticles at different Mg concentrations (2%, 4%, 6%, and 8%) by employing a simple solvothermal route. The structural, morphology, composition and optical investigations of synthesized Mg doped ZnO nanoparticles are carried out using XRD, FE-SEM, EDAX, TEM, SAED, FTIR and UV–visible measurements. The XRD results confirmed the formation of hexagonal-wurtzite structure for the Mg doped ZnO nanoparticles and increase of crystalline size with increasing dopant concentration up to 6% is observed. FESEM analysis indicated a gradual change in the surface morphology with increasing Mg concentration and the size of the nanoparticles are slightly reduced at higher Mg concentration. The HRTEM images and SAED pattern also confirmed the formation of wurtzite hexagonal phase of ZnO. The band gap energies calculated from the UV–visible spectra using Tauc's plots indicated decrease of band gap energy with dopant concentration. The DSSCs fabricated using Mg doped ZnO photo-anodes and Terminalia catappa sensitizer showed higher efficiency at higher Mg concentration and observed increase in efficiency is discussed based on slower charge carrier recombination and higher carrier life time as evidenced from the electrochemical impedance analysis.