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Well-aligned Vertically Oriented ZnO Nanorod Arrays and their Application in Inverted Small Molecule Solar Cells
Published on: April 25, 2018
Solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells based on ordered ZnO nanowire arrays
Umang V Desai1, Chengkun Xu, Jiamin Wu
1Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA.
Nanotechnology
|May 1, 2012
Summary
This study presents a solid-state dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC) using ZnO nanowires and CuSCN, achieving a record photocurrent density for enhanced solar energy conversion. The novel design significantly boosts performance compared to previous ZnO-based solar cells.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Renewable Energy
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) are a promising photovoltaic technology.
- Previous ZnO-based solid-state DSCs have shown limited photocurrent density.
- Vertically oriented nanostructures offer potential for improved charge transport.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate and characterize a solid-state dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC) utilizing vertically oriented ZnO nanowires.
- To investigate the performance enhancement of solid-state DSCs with ZnO nanowire arrays and CuSCN.
- To compare the photocurrent density and power conversion efficiency with existing solid-state DSC architectures.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a solid-state DSC using arrays of 11-12 µm long, vertically oriented ZnO nanowires as the anode.
- Incorporation of Copper(I) thiocyanate (CuSCN) as the solid hole-transport material.
- Performance evaluation under AM 1.5 G simulated sunlight irradiation.
Main Results:
- The fabricated solid-state DSC achieved a photocurrent density (J(SC)) of 8 mA cm(-2).
- This J(SC) is significantly higher than previously reported values for 1D nanostructures (0.34 mA cm(-2)) and nanoporous structures (4.5 mA cm(-2)) of ZnO.
- A power conversion efficiency of 1.7% was recorded.
Conclusions:
- Vertically oriented ZnO nanowires, when used with CuSCN in a solid-state DSC, dramatically enhance photocurrent density.
- This ZnO nanowire-based solid-state DSC architecture represents a significant advancement over previous designs.
- The findings pave the way for more efficient solid-state dye-sensitized solar cell technologies.
