Efficiency Of DSSC Research Articles

ZnO/g-C3N4 heterostructures: Synthesis, characterization and application as photoanode in dye sensitized solar cells

A simple low-temperature hydrothermal route was adopted to prepare the binary ZnO/g-C3N4 heterostructures, which were thoroughly characterized by various spectroscopic and microscopic probes. The clearly visible interfaces between the ZnO NRs and g-C3N4 in the HRTEM micrograph verify the formation of ZnO/g-C3N4 heterojunction structures, which, combined with N3 dye, deliver increased optical absorption extending from UV to the visible range. The binary ZnO/g-C3N4 heterostructures are used as the photoanode in the DSSC application. Improvement in the DSSC performance arises because of the growth of the g-C3N4 layer on the ZnO nanorods surface, which efficiently delays the reverse recombination of electrons from ZnO to the electrolyte. The g-C3N4 layer also increases the electron concentration in the photoelectrode and, thereby, directly contributes to the improved performance of the DSSC device. The optimal DSSC based on the ZnO/g-C3N4 photoanode delivers its characteristic JSC ∼14.18 mA/cm2, VOC ∼544 mV, FF ∼0.586 and η ∼4.52%, which is about 2.3 times greater than the DSSC efficiency based on pure ZnO nanorod photoelectrode and retains the spirit of generating the green energy following the photovoltaic endeavor.

Influence on the efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cell using Cd doped ZnO via solvothermal method

In this report, the transition metal Cd doped ZnO nanoparticles synthesized by solvothermal irradiation method was used to fabricate ZnO-based dye-sensitized solar cells as photo sensitizers of Terminalia catappa fruit using ethanol as solvent. These prepared metal oxide semiconductor nanoparticles were studied by XRD, FE-SEM, TEM, FTIR, UV–Visible, XPS and DC electrical conductivity. Electrochemical parameters of open circuit voltage, short circuit current density, and fill factor were calculated using J-V characterization. The effect of Cd doping on the efficiency of ZnO-based DSSC is investigated, which results in enhanced DSSC light harvesting efficiency calculated. This obtained result confirms that the doping of ZnO nanoparticles is a valuable material for increasing the corresponding efficiency of a solar cell application.

Plasmon-Enhanced Efficiency of DSSC and Hybrid Nano Catalysis Applications

Plasmon-Enhanced Efficiency of DSSC and Hybrid Nano Catalysis Applications

Review Penggunaan Reduced Graphene Oxide/TiO2 sebagai Fotoelektrode pada Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell

Many studies on graphene applied to DSSC have been carried out with the aim of increasing the efficiency of power conversion in organic solar cells. This research was conducted to find the best composition of soar cells so that they can be utilized and converted into electrical energy. The use of graphene as a photoanode can increase the conversion efficiency along with good electrical conductivity values in graphene. This review aims to analyze the process of increasing power conversion efficiency in DSSC caused by the addition of graphene to TiO2 which acts as a photoanode in DSSC during the last five years. The results of the measurement of DSSC efficiency increased when the addition of reduced graphene oxide to TiO2 was carried out.

Enhanced Solar Efficiency via Incorporation of Plasmonic Gold Nanostructures in a Titanium Oxide/Eosin Y Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell.

Plasmonic gold nanoparticles significantly improved the efficiency of a TiO2 and Eosin Y based dye-sensitized solar cell from 2.4 to 6.43%. The gold nanoparticles’ sizes that were tested were 14 nm, 30 nm and 40 nm synthesized via the systematic reduction of citrate concentration using the Turkevich method. Prestine TiO2 without plasmonic gold nanoparticles yielded an efficiency of 2.4%. However, the loading of 40 nm gold nanoparticles into the TiO2 matrix yielded the highest DSSC efficiency of 6.43% compared to 30 nm (5.91%) and 14 nm (2.6%). The relatively high efficiency demonstrated by plasmonic gold nanoparticles is ascribed to light absorption/scattering, hot electron injection and plasmon-induced resonance energy transfer (PIRET), influenced by the size of the gold nanoparticles.

THE EFFECT OF THE AMOUNT OF IMMERSION OF ZnO DOPING Ag THIN LAYER ON BAND GAP WITH DIP COATING METHOD

The availability of fossil energy is decreasing day by day. Therefore, a New Renewable Energy solution is needed. One of the renewable energy is DSSC. DSSC is a photoelectrochemical-based solar cell that has a lower cost, less difficult preparation, and is environmentally friendly. DSSC be composed of working electrode, dye, electrolyte, and counter electrode. This researchintend to investigate the performance of the working electrode where the manufacture of a thin film using the dip coating method with variations in immersion and its effect on the efficiency of DSSC. This research is an experimental research. In this study, the semiconductor working electrode was made based on 9% ZnO/Ag synthesis by going through a sol-gel process. The working electrode was coated with variations of immersion 1, 3 and 5 times. The 9% ZnO/Ag thin layer was characterized by UV-DR Spectrometer. Based on the results, 9% Ag doped ZnO deposited on the ITO substrate with variations of immersion 1, 3 and 5 times showed, a band gap of 3.09 eV, 3.10 eV and 3.12 eV, respectively. Based on these data, it was applied to DSSC with the optimum efficiency shown at the electrode 1 time dip. Therefore, the greater the amount of immersion, the lower the efficiency of the DSSC.The availability of fossil energy is decreasing day by day. Therefore, a New Renewable Energy solution is needed. One of the renewable energy is DSSC. DSSC is a photoelectrochemical-based solar cell that has a lower cost, less difficult preparation, and is environmentally friendly. DSSC be composed of working electrode, dye, electrolyte, and counter electrode. This researchintend to investigate the performance of the working electrode where the manufacture of a thin film using the dip coating method with variations in immersion and its effect on the efficiency of DSSC. This research is an experimental research. In this study, the semiconductor working electrode was made based on 9% ZnO/Ag synthesis by going through a sol-gel process. The working electrode was coated with variations of immersion 1, 3 and 5 times. The 9% ZnO/Ag thin layer was characterized by UV-DR Spectrometer. Based on the results, 9% Ag doped ZnO deposited on the ITO substrate with variations of immersion 1, 3 and 5 times showed, a band gap of 3.09 eV, 3.10 eV and 3.12 eV, respectively. Based on these data, it was applied to DSSC with the optimum efficiency shown at the electrode 1 time dip. Therefore, the greater the amount of immersion, the lower the efficiency of the DSSC.

Boosting dye-sensitized solar cell efficiency using AgVO3-doped TiO2 active layer

Dye-sensitized solar cells have shown great potential in low and self-powered nano/micro-scale applications, due to their low fabrication costs, semi-transparency in the visible spectrum, diffused light harvesting capabilities, and their lead-free structure. However, DSSC efficiencies are still relatively low due to their limited absorption capabilities in the active mesoporous layer. The current study demonstrates an attempt to boost the overall conversion efficiency of DSSC by narrowing the energy band gap of the mesoporous TiO2 active layer. AgVO3 is utilized in doping the mesoporous layer, seeking for a visible absorption shift from 3.2 eV to 2.6 eV. In addition, natural organic beetroot dye is used while keeping DSSC with N719 dye as a bare cell. Morphological, optical, as well as electrical characterization results were obtained for both thin-film and complete solar cells. The fabricated cell showed an overall harvested power density of 8.6 mW/cm2, capable of operating various low-power sensing applications.

Photovoltaic performance and physical characterization of Cu doped ZnO nanopowders as photoanode for DSSC

In this study, the effects of two fabrication factors, the Cu doping and the dye adsorption time on the ZnO-DSSC, were systematically investigated. ZnO nanostructures were obtained by hydrothermal synthesis method at different Cu doping ratio (0%, 0.1%, 1%, 3%) and used as photoanode in DSSC. The effects of Cu incorporation to ZnO on the morphological, structural, and optical properties were examined. As a result of XRD analysis, it was determined that all samples have highly crystallized hexagonal wurtzite structure. The doping process has caused the formation of protruding surfaces in the ZnO nanostructure and increased the surface area, which has been observed using SEM images. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) study demonstrated Cu-O and Zn-O bonding in the synthesized flake-shaped Cu doped ZnO nanostructures, which confirmed the Zn substitution by the Cu-ions. The maximum cell efficiency of 2.03% was achieved in DSSC when photoanode was fabricated by using %0.1 Cu doped ZnO nanopowder dipped in N719 solution for only one hour. The efficiency of DSSC with Cu doped ZnO photoanode has improved by 20%, and the dye adsorption time has been decreased by three times, obviously.

Plasmonic enhancement of visible light absorption in Ag-TiO2 based dye-sensitized solar cells

This work assessed the effect of plasmonic green synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) dispersed in Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles on the efficiency of DSSC. Natural plant extracts from air-dried Neem (Azadirachta indica) and Henna (Lawsonia inermis) leaves were used as sensitizers with commercially available Ruthenium dye (N719). The optical absorption band obtained at 425 nm confirmed the presence of the AgNPs and incorporating the AgNPs into TiO2 and dye loading increased the absorbance significantly. The optical band gap results showed that the energy gap decreased as the absorbance increased. The DSSC sensitized by N719 dye offered the highest conversion efficiency of 4.09%, followed by 1.57% by Neem extract and 1.18% by Henna extract. It was shown from the results that natural plant extracts as sensitizers and plasmonic green synthesized AgNPs incorporated into TiO2 as the photoanode are good materials for the fabrication of DSSC with outstanding environmental friendliness.

New Benzo[h]quinolin-10-ol Derivatives as Co-sensitizers for DSSCs.

New benzo[h]quinolin-10-ol derivatives with one or two 2-cyanoacrylic acid units were synthesized with a good yield in a one-step condensation reaction. Chemical structure and purity were confirmed using NMR spectroscopy and elemental analysis, respectively. The investigation of their thermal, electrochemical and optical properties was carried out based on differential scanning calorimetry, cyclic voltammetry, electronic absorption and photoluminescence measurements. The analysis of the optical, electrochemical and properties was supported by density functional theory studies. The synthesized molecules were applied in dye-sensitized solar cells as sensitizers and co-sensitizers with commercial N719. The thickness and surface morphology of prepared photoanodes was studied using optical, scanning electron and atomic force microscopes. Due to the utilization of benzo[h]quinolin-10-ol derivatives as co-sensitizers, the better photovoltaic performance of fabricated devices compared to a reference cell based on a neat N719 was demonstrated. Additionally, the effect of co-adsorbent chemical structure (cholic acid, deoxycholic acid and chenodeoxycholic acid) on DSSC efficiency was explained based on the density functional theory.

How Can the Introduction of Zr4+ Ions into TiO2 Nanomaterial Impact the DSSC Photoconversion Efficiency? A Comprehensive Theoretical and Experimental Consideration.

A series of pure and doped TiO2 nanomaterials with different Zr4+ ions content have been synthesized by the simple sol-gel method. Both types of materials (nanopowders and nanofilms scratched off of the working electrode’s surface) have been characterized in detail by XRD, TEM, and Raman techniques. Inserting dopant ions into the TiO2 structure has resulted in inhibition of crystal growth and prevention of phase transformation. The role of Zr4+ ions in this process was explained by performing computer simulations. The three structures such as pure anatase, Zr-doped TiO2, and tetragonal ZrO2 have been investigated using density functional theory extended by Hubbard correction. The computational calculations correlate well with experimental results. Formation of defects and broadening of energy bandgap in defected Zr-doped materials have been confirmed. It turned out that the oxygen vacancies with substituting Zr4+ ions in TiO2 structure have a positive influence on the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells. The overall photoconversion efficiency enhancement up to 8.63% by introducing 3.7% Zr4+ ions into the TiO2 has been confirmed by I-V curves, EIS, and IPCE measurements. Such efficiency of DSSC utilizing the working electrode made by Zr4+ ions substituted into TiO2 material lattice has been for the first time reported.

Structural, morphological, optical, and electrical properties of TiO2/ZnO rods multilayer films as photoanode on dye-sensitized solar cells

TiO2 nanoparticles have been widely studied as photoanode materials in DSSC due to the high surface area. Still, TiO2 nanoparticles exhibit weak light scattering which limiting red light absorption. On the other hand, one-dimensional structures such as rods demonstrate an increase in the light scattering. ZnO has undergone many structural modifications and exhibits higher mobility than TiO2. The combining characteristics of TiO2 nanoparticles and ZnO rods can improve photoanode performance. Therefore, the efficiency of DSSC can be increased. The TiO2/ZnO rods photoanodes were fabricated in the following steps. First, TiO2 nanoparticles were deposited on the conductive surface of ITO-Glass to form a double layer using the spin-coating method. Meanwhile, we prepare ZnO rods grown on the TiO2 nanoparticles layer using the hydrothermal method by varying Zinc Nitrate Tetrahydrate precursors (20; 30; 50; and 100 mM). Several physical characterizations have been carried out, including XRD, SEM, FTIR, UV-VIS, and Keithley SourceMeter 2400 equipped with a solar simulator 100 mW/cm2. Based on the results, the increasing concentration of Zinc Nitrate Tetrahydrate precursor affects the structural, morphological, optical, and electrical properties of TiO2/ZnO rods multilayer photoanode and reaches the optimum point at 50 mM.

Blending of Dielectric Perovskite with Electron Transport Materials: A Case Study towards Improving Bio-Molecular Devices for Energy Harvest

In the present work, the photovoltaic performance changes of organic dye anchored anatase TiO2 based photo-anode after incorporating dielectric material PLT15 (Pb0.85La0.15TiO3) in the TiO2 matrix were studied for DSSC application. The TiO2 and PLT15 modified TiO2 were prepared through a wet chemical process and the crystalline nature, morphological features, and optical properties were studied via XRD, SEM, and Uv–vis analysis, respectively. A few notable changes in the morphology and UV–vis absorption characteristics were observed when TiO2 was modified with PLT15. The hypsochromic shift in the UV–vis absorption spectrum was identified after the modification of TiO2 with PLT15. The estimated bandgap for the PLT15 modified TiO2 was found lower than the primitive TiO2, which shows the lowering of density of states after modification. DSSCs were prepared by anchoring two different natural biomolecule-based organic dyes originating from chlorophyll and carotene were used as a sensitizer for TiO2 and PLT15 modified TiO2 photoanodes. It was observed that extracted chlorophyll dye shows comparatively broader absorption than carotene under visible light and exhibits higher photo-conversion efficiency of DSSC. Furthermore, the modification of TiO2 with dielectric material (PLT15) improves the photoconversion efficiency than the primitive one. This present work provides a comprehensive insight to the researchers regarding the use of dielectric modified semiconducting metal oxide-based photoanodes for bio-molecular devices for energy harvest.

Molybdenum doped titanium dioxide as photoanode in dye sensitized solar cell – A simulation study

Dye sensitized solar cell [DSSC] belongs to the group of cost-effective thin film solar cells. The maximum reported efficiency of DSSC with ruthenium dye is 12%. This report analyses the photo voltaic parameters of molybdenum doped titanium dioxide (TiO2) as photo anode of DSSC via SETFOS 5.0 software. The device structure used for this study is, FTO glass substrate/ molybdenum doped TiO2/ metal contact. TiO2 is doped with 5 wt% and 10 wt% of molybdenum and are used as photoanode of DSSCs. Their characteristics parameters are analysed and compared with that of bare TiO2 photoanode device. It is observed that the Fermi energy levels of devices made with 5 wt% and 10 wt% of molybdenum doped TiO2 is shifted from that of bare TiO2 device by 0.18 eV and 0.14 eV respectively. Similarly, the photovoltaic parameters are analysed and compared. It is observed that the 5 wt% molybdenum doped TiO2 shows better results on comparison.

Effect of TiO2 compact layer and ITO texturing on DSSC efficiency improvement by chemical deposition and etching process

Effect of TiO2 compact layer and ITO texturing on DSSC efficiency improvement by chemical deposition and etching process

Design of novel substituted phthalocyanines; synthesis and fluorescence, DFT, photovoltaic properties.

The 4-(2-[3,4-dimethoxyphenoxy] phenoxy) phthalonitrile was synthesized as the starting material of new syntheses. Zinc, copper, and cobalt phthalocyanines were achieved by reaction of starting compound with Zn(CH3COO)2, CuCl2, and CoCl2 metal salts. Basic spectroscopic methods such as nuclear magnetic resonance electronic absorption, mass and infrared spectrometry were used in the structural characterization of the compounds. Absorption, excitation, and emission measurements of the fluorescence zinc phthalocyanine compound were also investigated in THF. Then, structural, energy, and electronic properties for synthesized metallophthalocyanines were determined by quantum chemical calculations, including the DFT method. The bandgap of HOMO and LUMO was determined to be chemically active. Global reactivity (I, A, η, s, μ, χ, ω) and nonlinear properties were studied. In addition, molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) maps were drawn to identify potential reactive regions of metallophthalocyanine (M-Pc) compounds. Photovoltaic performances of phthalocyanine compounds for dye sensitive solar cells were investigated. The solar conversion efficiency of DSSC based on copper, zinc, and cobalt phthalocyanine compounds was 1.69%, 1.35%, and 1.54%, respectively. The compounds have good solubility and show nonlinear optical properties. Zinc phthalocyanine gave fluorescence emission.

The Effect of Particle Size and Thickness on Nanocrystalline TiO2 Films on Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells for Indoor Application

Dye-sensitized solar cell has a unique property such as transparent, colorful characteristics and good performance under low/diffused light intensities, compared to other type of solar cells. Here, we have investigated effects of TiO2 particle size(14, 22, 50nm) and the thickness(2 to 20 μm) on nanocrystalline TiO2 films on photovoltaic performance in dye-sensitized solar cell under 1 sun, compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) and light-emitting diode (LED 3200K, 5000K) at 200 to 1000 lux. Further, the DSSCs fabricated using a TiO2 (22nm) film of 13.73 μm thickness at 1sun condition exhibited the best photovoltaic performance with highest power conversion efficiency (7.22%). However, the DSSC efficiency essentially follows the same trend with TiO2 film thickness, exhibiting the maximum efficiency value of 13.26 % for the 16.72 μm thickness of TiO2 (50nm) film at LED 3200K (1000 lux).

Co-sensitization of metal based N719 and metal free D35 dyes: An effective strategy to improve the performance of DSSC

Abstract The co-sensitization of dye sensitizers has been demonstrated as a potential way to improve the efficiency of DSSC, because of its positive effects such as reducing dye aggregation on TiO2 surface, suppressing charge recombination, and improving the open circuit voltage. In this work, we realized that the co-adsorption of ruthenium based N719 dye and organic D35 dye has enhanced the electron relaxation lifetime, carrier concentration, and charge separation in TiO2 photoanode, thus improving the performance of DSSCs. The high efficiency of 8% was obtained in DSSC with dye co-sensitization than its single dye based DSSCs (6.9% for N719 and 6.5% for D35).

Novel hemicyanine sensitizers based on benzothiazole-indole for dye-sensitized solar cells: Synthesis, optoelectrical characterization and efficiency of solar cell

Synthesis, characterization, and photovoltaic properties of three new hemicyanine sensitizers based benzothiazole-indoline (HC-TH, HC-IND1 and HC-IND2) were tested in DSSC with TiO2 film. These sensitizers have a higher molar absorption coefficient, and thus have better light harvesting properties. Electrochemical, theoretical, and spectroscopic methods were used to calculate energy levels of the dye molecules both in the excited state and in the ground state. The results obtained from the spectroscopy and Tafel studies show a marked increase in overall photoelectro-chemical cell output with Br-substitute at p-position in the hemicyanine sensitizer. Interestingly, HC-IND2 showed absorption of UV–Vis at a longer wavelength than HC-IND1 and HC-TH. This structural feature, as well as optical properties, would result in an improved efficiency of DSSC with a better photovoltaic output (4.01%) solar to electricity conversion efficiency compared to HC-IND1 and HC-TH.

Efficiency enhancement of solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells by doping polythiophene films photoelectrochemically grown onto TiO2 nanoparticles covered with cis-bis(isothiocyanato) bis(2,2′-bipyridyl-4,4′-dicarboxylato)ruthenium(II)

We recently reported on the effect of dopant sizes on the performance of polythiophene (PT)-based solar cells wherein the PT film was polymerized with 3-{5-[N,N-bis(4-diphenylamino)phenyl]thieno[3,2-b]thiophen-2-yl}-2-cyano-acrylic acid (C207) pre-adsorbed onto the electrode. Herein we utilized n- and p-doped polythiophene (PT) films as part of the solid-state dye-sensitized solar cell (ssDSSCs) based on cis-bis(isothiocyanato)bis(2,2′-bipyridyl-4,4′-dicarboxylato)ruthenium(II) (N3), the most commonly used dye sensitizer. Although the structure of the N3 is different from the chain-like C207, a smooth and homogeneous PT film can still be grown photoelectrochemically into the pores and onto the surface of the N3-covered TiO2 nanoparticles. The PT films were electrochemically doped with anions (ClO4− or PF6−) and cations (tetrabutylammonium, TBA+, or tetramethylammonium, TMA+). TMA+, being smaller, leads to a higher doping level in the PT films and a power conversion efficiency of 7.57 ± 0.33%, which is a 33% increase over that constructed with undoped PT films. However, the efficiency of the anion-doped PT films is reduced when compared to that of the undoped PT films. The N3-sensitized solar cell comprising a TMA+-doped PT film is 15% more efficient and costs at least 57% less than the PT-based solar cell comprising C207. This study demonstrates that the n-doped PT film can be a useful interfacial modifier, and pre-adsorbed N3 not only assists the growth of smooth PT films, but also enhances light absorption and power conversion efficiency of the resultant DSSC.