Abstract
The photovoltaic performance of a quantum dot (QD)-sensitized solar cell consisting of CdS/CdSe/ZnS QDs loaded onto the surface of the three-dimensional (3D) flower-like TiO2 structure grown on an array (1D) of TiO2 nanorods (FTiR) is studied. The flower-like structure on the rod-shaped titania was synthesized using a double-step hydrothermal process. The FTiR array exhibited a 3D/1D composite structure with a specific surface area of 81.87 m2/g. Using CuS as the counter electrode instead of Pt offers the best performance and leads to an increase in the conversion efficiency (η). The efficiency of the CdS/CdSe/ZnS QD-loaded FTiR assembling CuS counter electrode cell improved from η = 2.715% (Voc = 0.692 V, Jsc = 5.896 mA/cm2, FF = 0.665) to η = 0.703% (Voc = 0.665 V, Jsc = 2.108 mA/cm2, FF = 0.501) for the QD-loaded FTiR assembling Pt counter electrode cell. These studies reveal a synergistically beneficial effect on the solar-to-current conversion of these QD-sensitized solar cells when a CuS counter electrode is used instead of the usual Pt counter electrode.
Highlights
We have studied the loading of semiconducting quantum dot (QD) onto the surface of threedimensional flower-like titania structures grown on one-dimensional array of TiO2 nanorods formed on a conducting fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass substrate
We find that the impedance spectra of the QD-loaded Flower-like structures on the rod-shaped titania layer (FTiR) matched to either a CuS counter electrode or to Pt counter electrode under forward bias (−0.7 V) and dark conditions are quite different
After using the CdS/ CdSe/ZnS QDs to sensitize the FTiR photoelectrodes, it was seen that the light absorption shifted to higher wavelengths and that there was a noticeable improvement in the power conversion efficiency when CuS instead of Pt was used
Summary
Since most of this energy is produced by burning fossil fuel, the resulting environmental pollution has rapidly increased. This has resulted in the air that people breathe becoming detrimental to their health. There have been several reports [1,2,3] on how solar energy can be developed so that it can become the alternative source of energy. For this to occur, new ways to convert sunlight to useable energies must be found
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