Enhanced power conversion efficiency of CdS quantum dot sensitized solar cells with ZnO nanowire arrays as the photoanodes

We report the fabrication of CdS quantum dot sensitized solar cells with ZnO nanowire arrays as the photoanodes. The influences of precursor solution temperature and sensitizing cycles on the performance of CdS quantum dots sensitized ZnO nanowires solar cells were studied. Successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method was applied to deposit CdS quantum dots on the surface of ZnO nanowire arrays for assembling ZnO/CdS electrodes. The results of scanning electron microscopic (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns and UV-vis absorption spectroscopy indicated that the ZnO nanowires electrodes were well-covered with CdS quantum dots. The temperature of the ethanol sensitizing solutions significantly influenced the performance of ZnO/CdS electrodes by affecting the rate of deposition reaction and the penetration ability of ethanol solution. The CdS quantum dots sensitized ZnO-based solar cells exhibited a short-circuit current density (Jsc) of 3.1 mA/cm2, an open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 0.55 V and a photovoltaic conversion efficiency of 0.72%, which is much higher than that reported in literatures, under the illumination of one sun (AM 1.5, 100 mW/cm2) when the temperature of the ethanol solutions was 60 °C and ZnO arrays were sensitized for seven times.