Abstract:
Quantum dot sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs) with titanium dioxide (TiO2)
photoanode are attracting considerable attention among the third-generation
photovoltaics due to their low cost and simple fabrication techniques involve.
It is proved that strong light absorption in the visible region due to the surface
plasmon resonance (SPR), of metal nanoparticles (NP) can enhance the
photoresponses of these QDSSCs by acting as an agent for light trapping and
providing electron traps for facilitating charge separation. In this study, the
effect of in-cooperation of Ag nanoparticles in CdS quantum dot-sensitized
TiO, photoanodes towards the efficiency enhancement in QDSSCs was
studied. CdS deposition on porous TiO? films was carried out by successive
ionic layer adsorption and reaction method. Silver NPs, synthesized by a
facile one-pot chemical reduction method, were incorporated with TiO»
photoanode. QDSSCs with FTO/TiO2-CdS/Pt/FTO configuration were
fabricated with polysulfide liquid electrolyte. QDSSCs fabricated with
pristine TiO. photoanode exhibited an overall power conversion efficiency of
1.09%, whereas solar cells made with 0.3 w/v% Ag nanoparticle in-
cooperated photo anode exhibited 1.37% efficiency under 100 mW cm” (AM
1.5) light illumination. This is an impressive 26% increase in the overall
power conversion efficiency which is mainly attributed to the significant
enhancement of the light harvesting capacity of the QDSSCs resulted by
ultra-broadband SPR of the Ag NPs.
