One Pot Synthesis of Multi-functional Tin Oxide Nanostructures for High Efficiency Dye-sensitized Solar Cells

• Main Authors: Qamar, Wali, Azhar, Fakharuddin, Yasin, Amina, Mohd Hasbi, Ab. Rahim, Jamil, Ismail, Rajan, Jose
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 2015
• Subjects: Q Science (General)
• Online Access: http://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/9337/1/fist-2015-qamar-One%20Pot%20Synthesis.pdf; http://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/9337/; http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2015.05.120

Photoanode plays a key role in dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) as a scaffold for dye molecules, transport medium for photogenerated electrons, and scatters light for improved absorption. Herein, tin oxide nanostructures unifying the above three characteristics were optimized by a hydrothermal process and used as photoanode in DSSCs. The optimized morphology is a combination of hollow porous nanoparticles of size ∼50 nm and micron sized spheres with BET surface area (up to 29 m2/g) to allow large dye-loading and light scattering as well as high crystallinity to support efficient charge transport. The optimized morphology gave the highest photovoltaic conversion efficiency (∼7.5%), so far achieved in DSSCs with high open circuit voltage (∼700 mV) and short circuit current density (∼21 mA/cm2) employing conventional N3 dye and iodide/triiodide electrolyte. The best performing device achieved an incident photon to current conversion efficiency of ∼90%. The performance of the optimized tin oxide nanostructures was comparable to that of conventional titanium based DSSCs fabricated at similar conditions.