Influence of thickness and morphology of MoS₂ on the performance of counter electrodes in dye-sensitized solar cells

• Lam Thuy Thi Mai,
• Hai Viet Le,
• Ngan Kim Thi Nguyen,
• Van La Tran Pham,
• Thu Anh Thi Nguyen,
• Nguyen Thanh Le Huynh and
• Hoang Thai Nguyen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 528–537, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.44

• disulfide (MoS2) was prepared on substrates coated with fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) to substitute the platinum counter electrode (CE) for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Herein, we synthesized layered and honeycomb-like MoS2 thin films via the cyclic voltammetry (CV) route. Thickness and morphology

• thin film were composed of 1T and 2H structures and exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity for the I3–/I− redox couple. DSSCs assembled using these MoS2 CEs showed a maximal power conversion efficiency of 7.33%. The short-circuit value reached 16.3 mA·cm−2, which was higher than that of a

• : cyclic voltammetry (CV); dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs); electrocatalytic activity; honeycomb-like; molybdenum disulfide (MoS2); thin film; Introduction Since Grätzel’s first report in 1991, dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have been the subject of much research due to the easy fabrication process

Zinc oxide nanostructures for fluorescence and Raman signal enhancement: a review

• Ioana Marica,
• Fran Nekvapil,
• Maria Ștefan,
• Cosmin Farcău and
• Alexandra Falamaș

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 472–490, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.40

• -sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Au–ZnO plasmonic nanoparticles were studied for DSSCs application and their enhancement capabilities were assigned to the SPR effect [91]. Hence, the ZnO PL is of great interest and its enhancement is also important in order to develop efficient optoelectronic devices

Nontoxic pyrite iron sulfide nanocrystals as second electron acceptor in PTB7:PC₇₁BM-based organic photovoltaic cells

• Olivia Amargós-Reyes,
• José-Luis Maldonado,
• Omar Martínez-Alvarez,
• María-Elena Nicho,
• José Santos-Cruz,
• Juan Nicasio-Collazo,
• Irving Caballero-Quintana and
• Concepción Arenas-Arrocena

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 2238–2250, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.216

• electrodes in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) [9][12][13], as electron acceptors or donors in inorganic or hybrid solar cells [10][14][15][16][17] and as second electron acceptors in organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs) [18]. An iron pyrite thin film used as a counter electrode showed a conversion efficiency

• mentioned. Table 3 depicts a summary of the different usage of iron pyrite in photovoltaic applications. Different structures and sizes of FeS2 NPs have been used for various purposes within solar cells, for example, for counter electrodes in DSSCs, for electron acceptors or electron donors in inorganic or

Comparing a porphyrin- and a coumarin-based dye adsorbed on NiO(001)

• Sara Freund,
• Antoine Hinaut,
• Nathalie Marinakis,
• Edwin C. Constable,
• Ernst Meyer,
• Catherine E. Housecroft and
• Thilo Glatzel

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 874–881, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.88

• Kelvin probe force microscopy measurements. Keywords: coumarin; Kelvin probe force microscopy; metal oxide; molecular resolution; nickel oxide (NiO); non-contact atomic force microscopy; porphyrin; Introduction With regard to its use in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), the wide-bandgap n-type

• -bandgap p-type semiconductors, such as NiO, and their functionalization with sensitizers, have been less extensively studied by using SPM [12][13][14][15]. NiO was the first reported p-type wide-bandgap semiconductor [16], and can be used for the fabrication of p-type DSSCs with photoactive cathodes, a

• first step towards the design of tandem solar cells with two photoactive electrodes [17][18]. In p-type DSSCs, the charge transfer is in the opposite direction to that in n-type devices. Holes are injected from the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) of the dye to the valence band (VB) of the

Semi-automatic spray pyrolysis deposition of thin, transparent, titania films as blocking layers for dye-sensitized and perovskite solar cells

• Hana Krýsová,
• Josef Krýsa and
• Ladislav Kavan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1135–1145, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.105

• properties that were not influenced by post-calcination. These results will surely find use in the fabrication of large-scale dye-sensitized and perovskite solar cells. Keywords: blocking films; FTO; solar cells; spray pyrolysis deposition; titanium dioxide; Introduction Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs

• liquid-type DSSCs there is a relatively small recombination current as compared to FTO, which becomes critical in SSDSSCs and perovskite solar cells [3]. For proper function of these solar cells, a semiconducting nonporous blocking layer of oxide (usually TiO2 or SnO2) must be deposited on top of FTO to

• unperturbed blocking utility of our calcined films is shown here for the first time. Furthermore, good blocking is observed for calcined films, which are similar or thinner than those reported earlier by spray pyrolysis deposition. This finding is significant for the fabrication of DSSCs, SSDSSCs and

Anchoring of a dye precursor on NiO(001) studied by non-contact atomic force microscopy

• Sara Freund,
• Antoine Hinaut,
• Nathalie Marinakis,
• Edwin C. Constable,
• Ernst Meyer,
• Catherine E. Housecroft and
• Thilo Glatzel

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 242–249, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.26

• photovoltaics such as dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) [1][2][3][4]. In the latter field, the wide band gap n-type semiconductor TiO2 has become one of the most common metal oxides for the design of classical n-type DSSCs, and is therefore a widely studied material, in particular in the field of scanning

• fundamental studies including those at the molecular or sub-molecular scale [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]. In contrast, the synthesis and characterization of p-type wide band gap metal oxide materials and especially the fabrication and analysis of p-type DSSCs with a photoactive cathode, are less commonly

• discussed [15][16]. Such p-type DSSCs are a first step towards the fabrication of hybrid tandem solar cells where both electrodes will be photoactive allowing for higher open-circuit voltages and energy conversion efficiencies [15][17]. The first reported p-type wide band gap metal oxide material was NiO

Synthesis and characterization of noble metal–titania core–shell nanostructures with tunable shell thickness

• Bartosz Bartosewicz,
• Marta Michalska-Domańska,
• Malwina Liszewska,
• Dariusz Zasada and
• Bartłomiej J. Jankiewicz

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 2083–2093, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.208

• interesting materials for application in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) and photocatalysis. In fact, it has been shown that plasmonic nanostructures can enhance the efficiency of DSSCs by four possible mechanisms [66]. The far-field coupling of scattered light and the near-field coupling of

Three-in-one approach towards efficient organic dye-sensitized solar cells: aggregation suppression, panchromatic absorption and resonance energy transfer

• Jayita Patwari,
• Samim Sardar,
• Bo Liu,
• Peter Lemmens and
• Samir Kumar Pal

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1705–1713, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.171

• , using time-resolved fluorescence decay measurements. The electron transfer time scales from the dyes to TiO2 have also been characterized for each dye. The current–voltage (I–V) characteristics and the wavelength-dependent photocurrent measurements of the co-sensitized DSSCs reveal that FRET between the

• research for the development of efficient conversion technologies of clean and renewable energy sources. Solar energy has been considered to be the most promising sustainable and renewable energy source because of its quasi-unlimited supply. In the last decade, dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have drawn

• significant attention as an alternative conversion technology for solar energy, besides conventional Si-based solar cells, because of its simple and less expensive processing and a wide range of potential applications [1][2][3]. Since the first invention of DSSCs by O’Regan and Grätzel in 1991 [4], a plethora

Performance of natural-dye-sensitized solar cells by ZnO nanorod and nanowall enhanced photoelectrodes

• Saif Saadaoui,
• Mohamed Aziz Ben Youssef,
• Moufida Ben Karoui,
• Rached Gharbi,
• Emanuele Smecca,
• Vincenzina Strano,
• Salvo Mirabella,
• Alessandra Alberti and
• Rosaria A. Puglisi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 287–295, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.31

• cells (DSSCs). Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra of the extract revealed the presence of anchoring groups and coloring constituents. Two different structures were prepared by chemical bath deposition (CBD) using zinc oxide (ZnO) layers to obtain ZnO nanowall (NW) or nanorod (NR) layers employed

• ZnO NWs was also applied by the deposition of a thin TiO2 layer by reactive sputtering to improve the cell performance. The application of this layer increased the overall short circuit current Jsc by seven times from 2.45 × 10−3 mA/cm2 to 1.70 × 10−2 mA /cm2. Keywords: DSSCs; I–V measurement

• promising green industry for the future power demand. Among these technological resources, dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have shown good performance since their first demonstration by O'Regan and Grätzel in 1991 [2]. Figure 1a shows the standard structure of DSSC: The first part of this structure

Performance of colloidal CdS sensitized solar cells with ZnO nanorods/nanoparticles

• Anurag Roy,
• Partha Pratim Das,
• Mukta Tathavadekar,
• Sumita Das and
• Parukuttyamma Sujatha Devi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 210–221, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.23

• ; ZnO; Introduction Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) using inorganic semiconductors are being investigated as a cost-effective and alternative energy source. In DSSCs, a porous electrode made of a wide band gap semiconductor is required for anchoring dye molecules and transporting photo-injected

• ZnO could be a preferential alternative to TiO2. However, ZnO suffers from lack of stability in the acidic Ru-based sensitizers in DSSCs, leading to the formation ZnO/dye aggregates [30]. This can be easily avoided for QDSSCs where the used sensitizer, CdS, is neutral in nature. In our earlier work

• , we have reported the advantages of using 1D ZnO nanorods compared to nanoparticles in DSSCs using N719 as a photosensitizer [31]. Due to the reduced grain boundaries and direct conjunction pathway, 1D nanorods can diffuse electrons faster than nanoparticles and other morphologies. However

Scanning probe microscopy studies on the adsorption of selected molecular dyes on titania

• Jakub S. Prauzner-Bechcicki,
• Lukasz Zajac,
• Piotr Olszowski,
• Res Jöhr,
• Antoine Hinaut,
• Thilo Glatzel,
• Bartosz Such,
• Ernst Meyer and
• Marek Szymonski

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1642–1653, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.156

• origins of the observed energy shift, however, without a clear conclusion. Regardless of the mechanism responsible for the observed effect, the results presented by Lackinger, Janson and Ho [59] are critically important to DSSC applications. In the DSSCs the proper level alignment of the dye and the

• with STM [33][43]. One of the prerequisites of DSSCs, however, is the ability to function at least at room temperature. The introduction of ZnTPP molecules as a buffer layer changes the stability of the CuPc overlayers dramatically, finally allowing high-resolution room temperature STM measurements [49

• layer. Understanding of the molecule–substrate interactions is one of the key elements of successful design of organic DSSCs. In this regard, in addition to study the adsorption of organic dyes on the surfaces of wide-band-gap materials with the use of scanning tunnelling microscopy or atomic force

Experimental determination of the light-trapping-induced absorption enhancement factor in DSSC photoanodes

• Serena Gagliardi and
• Mauro Falconieri

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 886–892, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.91

• and simple manufacturing techniques ensures low-cost production and makes DSSCs a promising class of photovoltaic cells, even though the demonstrated efficiency on the laboratory scale is still well below the performance of more mature photovoltaic technologies. Much effort is devoted to the

• point to determine one of the key photovoltaic parameters of a device. In DSSCs, light harvesting occurs at the photoanode, which is comprised of a monolayer of dye adsorbed onto a mesoporous titania film deposited onto a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer. The absorption spectrum of the dye

• (LT) phenomenon occurs in the active layer of the cell, resulting in enhanced light absorption and hence the overall improved cell efficiency. The beneficial influence of light scattering in DSSCs was first theoretically analyzed by Usami [4][5] and Ferber [6]. Rothemberger et al. [7] also proposed a

Inorganic Janus particles for biomedical applications

• Isabel Schick,
• Steffen Lorenz,
• Dominik Gehrig,
• Stefan Tenzer,
• Wiebke Storck,
• Karl Fischer,
• Dennis Strand,
• Frédéric Laquai and
• Wolfgang Tremel

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 2346–2362, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.244

• (DSSCs) with tailor-designed Au–TiO2 nanostructures integrated into the photoanode representing the increased photocurrent by LSPR and scattering effects [51]. (a, b) Adapted with permission from [50]. Copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH. (c, d) Reproduced with permission from [51]. Copyright 2014 The Royal Society

Optical modeling-assisted characterization of dye-sensitized solar cells using TiO₂ nanotube arrays as photoanodes

• Jung-Ho Yun,
• Il Ku Kim,
• Yun Hau Ng,
• Lianzhou Wang and
• Rose Amal

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 895–902, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.102

• , University of New South Wales, Kensington NSW 2052, Australia 10.3762/bjnano.5.102 Abstract Photovoltaic characteristics of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) using TiO2 nanotube (TNT) arrays as photoanodes were investigated. The TNT arrays were 3.3, 11.5, and 20.6 μm long with the pore diameters of 50

• transport property with an increase in TNT length. The initial charge generation rate was improved from 4 × 1021 s−1·cm−3 to 7 × 1021 s−1·cm−3 in DSSCs based on optical modelling analysis. The modelling analysis of optical processes inside TNT-based DSSCs using generalized transfer matrix method (GTMM

• ) revealed that the amount of dye and TNT lengths were critical factors influencing the performance of DSSCs, which is consistent with the experimental results. Keywords: charge generation; dye-sensitized solar cells; generalized transfer matrix method; optical process; photocatalysis; TiO2 nanotubes

Nanostructure sensitization of transition metal oxides for visible-light photocatalysis

• Hongjun Chen and
• Lianzhou Wang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 696–710, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.82

• as photosensitizers for transition metal oxides. Note that various organic dyes such as rhodamine B, porphyrins, and phthalocyanines have been employed as photosensitizers [11][12][13][14] and these dyes also play an important role in the photosensitization of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) [15

Self-assembled monolayers and titanium dioxide: From surface patterning to potential applications

• Yaron Paz

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2011, 2, 845–861, doi:10.3762/bjnano.2.94

• titanium dioxide serves to accept photoinduced electrons from sensitizers that cannot be strictly considered as SAMs, i.e., most types of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Review Self-assembled monolayers chemisorbed on TiO2 Both TiO2 and SiO2 are oxides capable of forming surface hydroxyls, and

Highly efficient ZnO/Au Schottky barrier dye-sensitized solar cells: Role of gold nanoparticles on the charge-transfer process

• Tanujjal Bora,
• Htet H. Kyaw,
• Soumik Sarkar,
• Samir K. Pal and
• Joydeep Dutta

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2011, 2, 681–690, doi:10.3762/bjnano.2.73

• hindering the rapid commercialization of DSSCs is their lower conversion efficiency compared to conventional solar cells. The maximum conversion efficiency of any DSSC reported to date is about 11% [4]. Due to the presence of various material interfaces in a DSSC, the probability of recombination of the

• synthesis [9], ZnO is widely employed in various optoelectronic device applications. But, in DSSCs, the recombination of the electrons at the semiconductor/electrolyte interface is still unavoidable. Various attempts to control the recombination at the semiconductor/electrolyte interface by passivating the

• illumination; the results are shown in Table 2. In Figure 3a, the best J–V characteristics obtained for both bare ZnO-nanorod and ZnO/Au-nanocomposite DSSCs are shown. It was found that the photocurrent of the ZnO-nanorod DSSC improved upon the incorporation of Au nanoparticles in the ZnO-nanorod