La2O3-encapsulated SnO2 nanocrystallite-based photoanodes for enhanced DSSCs performance

CdS-Decorated Porous Anodic SnOx Photoanodes with Enhanced Performance under Visible Light

Electrochemically generated nanoporous tin oxide films have already been studied as photoanodes in photoelectrochemical water splitting systems. However, up to now, the most significant drawback of such materials was their relatively wide band gap (ca. 3.0 eV), which limits their effective performance in the UV light range. Therefore, here, we present for the first time an effective strategy for sensitization of porous anodic SnO_x films with another narrow band gap semiconductor. Nanoporous tin oxide layers were obtained by simple one-step anodic oxidation of metallic Sn in 1 M NaOH followed by further surface decoration with CdS by the successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method. It was found that the nanoporous morphology of as-anodized SnO_x is still preserved after CdS deposition. Such SnO_x/CdS photoanodes exhibited enhanced photoelectrochemical activity in the visible range compared to unmodified SnO_x. However, the thermal treatment at 200 °C before the SILAR process was found to be a key factor responsible for the optimal photoresponse of the material.

Synthesis and characterization of a new phenothiazine-based sensitizer/co-sensitizer for efficient dye-sensitized solar cell performance using a gel polymer electrolyte and Ni–TiO2 as a photoanode

Efficiency enhancement of a DSSC using a metal-free co-sensitizer, Ni–TiO2 photoanode, and blend gel polymer electrolyte.

Novel photosensitizer for dye-sensitized solar cell based on ionic liquid–doped blend polymer electrolyte

The existing energy situation demands not only the huge energy in a short time but also clean energy. In this regard, an integrated photo-supercapacitor device has been fabricated in which photoelectric conversion and energy storage are achieved simultaneously. A novel carbazole-based dye is synthesized and characterized for photosensitizer. The silver-doped titanium dioxide (Ag-TiO2) is synthesized, and it is used as photoanode material. Different concentrations of tetrabutylammonium iodide (TBAI)-doped polyvinyl alcohol–polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVA-PVP) blend polymer electrolytes are prepared, and their conductivity and dielectric properties were studied. Reduced graphene oxide (r-GO) is synthesized by a one-pot synthesis method and confirmed using Raman spectroscopy for counter electrode material in dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) and supercapacitor electrodes. The DSSC having 4% Ag-TiO2–based photoanode showed the highest efficiency of 1.06% (among r-GO counter electrodes) and 2.37% (among platinum counter electrodes). The supercapacitor before integration and after integration exhibits specific capacitance of 1.72 Fg−1 and 1.327 Fg−1, respectively.

High current density cation-exchanged SnO2–CdSe/ZnSe and SnO2–CdSe/SnSe quantum-dot photoelectrochemical cells

The 9.74 mA cm⁻² current density of SnO₂–CdSe photoanode is enhanced to 19.82 and 28.40 mA cm⁻² on SnO₂–CdSe/ZnSe and SnO₂–CdSe/SnSe surface modifications, respectively, through a process of cation-exchange.

D-sorbitol-induced phase control of TiO2 nanoparticles and its application for dye-sensitized solar cells

Using a simple hydrothermal synthesis, the crystal structure of TiO₂ nanoparticles was controlled from rutile to anatase using a sugar alcohol, D-sorbitol. Adding small amounts of D-sorbitol to an aqueous TiCl₄ solution resulted in changes in the crystal phase, particle size, and surface area by affecting the hydrolysis rate of TiCl₄. These changes led to improvements of the solar-to-electrical power conversion efficiency (η) of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) fabricated using these nanoparticles. A postulated reaction mechanism concerning the role of D-sorbitol in the formation of rutile and anatase was proposed. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, and dynamic light scattering analyses were used to better understand the interaction between the Ti precursor and D-sorbitol. The crystal phase and size of the synthesized TiO₂ nanocrystallites as well as photovoltaic performance of the DSSC were examined using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and photocurrent density-applied voltage spectroscopy measurement techniques. The DSSC fabricated using the anatase TiO₂ nanoparticles synthesized in the presence of D-sorbitol, exhibited an enhanced η (6%, 1.5-fold improvement) compared with the device fabricated using the rutile TiO₂ synthesized without D-sorbitol.