Urchin-inspired ZnO-TiO 2 core-shell as building blocks for dye sensitized solar cells
Résumé
We applied the core-shell concept to an urchin-inspired ZnO nanowire photoanode building
block as a means to increase the electron transport and reduce recombination between
nanowire and electrolyte. Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were prepared, for the first time,
from arrays of urchin-like ZnO nanowire building blocks covered with a thin layer of anatase
TiO2 by atomic layer deposition (ALD). An increase in the cell open-circuit voltage (VOC) and 2
an improvement in the conversion efficiency were observed when the urchin-like ZnO
building blocks were coated with 10 nm thick TiO2 ALD shells in combination with 10 µm
thick top layer of TiO2 nanoparticles of 15.8 nm size. Using urchin-like ZnO nanowires as
building blocks can improve the light-scattering and provide a higher surface area with a great
control of the nanowire dimensions to increase the dye loading and reduce the electron
collection path. The addition of a thin TiO2 blocking layer decreases the recombination of
charges in such a high surface area nanostructure.
Domaines
Chimie
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