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Photoelectrochemical solar cells made from SnO2/ZnO films sensitized with an indoline dye

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

Boateng Onwona-Agyeman ,
Motoi Nakao  and
Gamaralalege Rajanya Asoka Kumara
Motoi Nakao
Affiliation:
Kyushu Institute of Technology, Tobata-ku, Kitakyushu 840-8550, Japan
Gamaralalege Rajanya Asoka Kumara
Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry, Peradeniya University, Peradeniya City 20400, Sri Lanka
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Abstract

A dye-sensitized photoelectrochemical (DS-PEC) cell consisting of SnO2 and ZnO nanoparticles was found to yield higher solar energy conversion efficiency than similar cells made of the individual oxide semiconductors when they were sensitized with an indoline dye. The SnO2/ZnO composite solar cell gave an overall energy conversion efficiency of 3.8% while the SnO2 and ZnO individual cells yielded efficiencies of 2.8% and 1.2%, respectively, under standard AM 1.5 irradiation (100 mW cm−2). The broadening of the absorption spectra and a large red shift of the absorption peak were observed by the adsorbing dyes on the composite film suggesting the formation of various kinds of J-aggregates. It is suggested that the formation of the J-aggregates and the presence of the ZnO barrier were responsible for the higher efficiency of the composite cell.

Keywords

Barrier LayerCompositeSpray Deposition
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 25 , Issue 9 , September 2010 , pp. 1838 - 1841
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2010

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