Ball/dumbbell-like structured micrometer-sized Sb₂S₃ particles as a scattering layer in dye-sensitized solar cells

To improve the light harvesting efficiency in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) the light scattering layer is important. In this Letter, we present ball/dumbbell-like structured micrometer-sized Sb2S3 particles for photon propagation in DSSCs and demonstrate their effective usage in photoelectrodes. The analysis of the photoelectrode by a UV-vis spectrophotometer indicates that the absorption wavelength of an electrode with scattering layer can be obviously promoted from ultraviolet to visible light. The synthesized Sb2S3 particle structures were also characterized by x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The photovoltaic performance of the ball/dumbbell-like structured Sb2S3 based cell exhibits excellent power conversion efficiency.