Issue 23, 2013

Constructing ZnO nanorod array photoelectrodes for highly efficient quantum dot sensitized solar cells

Abstract

This work reports on a ZnO nanorod (NR) array photoelectrode for CdS/CdSe quantum dot cosensitized solar cells (QDSCs), which generated a high power conversion efficiency of 3.14%. ZnO NR arrays were fabricated by growing on a seeded indium-doped tin oxide (ITO) substrate without using a template or high temperature conditions. The ZnO NR served as the backbone for direct electron transport in view of its single crystallinity and high electron mobility. To improve the performance of the QDSC, we introduced a facile chemical surface modification of the ZnO NR array photoelectrodes. The chemical processing not only formed a barrier layer of TiO2 nanoparticles on the surface of the ZnO NR, which suppresses charge recombination by preventing the electrons in the ZnO conduction band from transferring to the oxidized ions in the electrolyte, but also modified the surface characteristics of the ZnO NR so as to harvest a greater amount of QDs and increase the short current density of the QDSC. As a result, the QDSC assembled with the modified ZnO NR array photoelectrode exhibited a high performance with Jsc, Voc, FF and η performance values equal to 9.93 mA cm−2, 0.61 V, 0.52 and 3.14%, respectively.

Graphical abstract: Constructing ZnO nanorod array photoelectrodes for highly efficient quantum dot sensitized solar cells

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
14 Mar 2013
Accepted
10 Apr 2013
First published
10 Apr 2013

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2013,1, 6770-6775

Constructing ZnO nanorod array photoelectrodes for highly efficient quantum dot sensitized solar cells

J. Tian, Q. Zhang, E. Uchaker, Z. Liang, R. Gao, X. Qu, S. Zhang and G. Cao, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2013, 1, 6770 DOI: 10.1039/C3TA11056G

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements