Effect of Size and Morphology of Different ZnO Nanostructures on the Performance of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Sunandan Baruah, Rakesh A. Afre and Diego Pugliese ()
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Sunandan Baruah: Centre of Excellence in Nanotechnology (CoEN), Faculty of Engineering, Assam down town University (AdtU), Sankar Madhab Path, Guwahati 781026, Assam, India
Rakesh A. Afre: Centre of Excellence in Nanotechnology (CoEN), Faculty of Engineering, Assam down town University (AdtU), Sankar Madhab Path, Guwahati 781026, Assam, India
Diego Pugliese: National Institute of Metrological Research (INRiM), Strada delle Cacce 91, 10135 Torino, Italy

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 9, 1-13

Abstract: In this study, the influence of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures with various morphologies on the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) was investigated. Photo-electrodes were fabricated incorporating ZnO transport layers of distinct nanoscale morphologies—namely nanoparticles, microballs, spiky microballs, belts, and triangles—and their respective current–voltage characteristics were evaluated. It was observed that the DSSCs employing the triangular ZnO nanostructures, with a side length of approximately 30 nm, achieved the highest power conversion efficiency of 2.62%. This was closely followed by the DSSCs using spherical nanoparticles with an average diameter of approximately 20 nm, yielding an efficiency of 2.54%. In contrast, the efficiencies of DSSCs with microball and spiky microball ZnO nanostructures were significantly lower, measuring 0.31 and 1.79%, respectively. The reduction in efficiency for the microball-based DSSCs is attributed to the formation of micro-cracks within the thin film during the fabrication process. All DSSC configurations maintained a uniform active area of 4 mm². Remarkably, the highest fill factor of 59.88% was recorded for DSSCs utilizing the triangular ZnO morphology, with the spherical nanoparticles attaining a marginally lower fill factor of 59.38%. This investigation corroborates the hypothesis that reduced particle size in the transport layer correlates with enhanced DSSC performance, which is further amplified when the nanoparticles possess pointed geometries that induce strong electric fields due to elevated charge concentrations.

Keywords: zinc oxide; nano morphology; dye-sensitized solar cells; microballs; belts; triangles (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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