Sonication-assisted sequential chemical bath deposition of CdS nanoparticles into TiO2 nanotube arrays for application in solar cells

CdS nanoparticles sensitized TiO2 nanotube arrays photoanode for semiconductors sensitized solar cells (SSSCs) were prepared by sonication-assisted sequential chemical bath deposition (SSCBD) approach and labeled as S-CdS/TNTAs. The S-CdS/TNTAs solar cell was assembled into a typical sandwich structure with backside illumination. Short-circuit current density (Jsc), open circuit potential (Voc), fill factor (FF) and power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the cells under AM 1.5 irradiation were about 4.16 mA cm−2, 446 mV, 43.9% and 0.814%, respectively. Compared with classical sequential chemical bath deposition (SCBD), SSCBD process could effectively prevent CdS nanoparticles aggregating at the top surface of TNTAs and resulted in an increase of PCE by 65.8%. Increased performance of S-CdS/TNTAs solar cell may be attributed to the more efficient charge-transfer process and the lower charge recombination, as evidenced from FESEM and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS).

► CdS sensitized TNTAs photoanode were prepared by sonication-assisted CBD approach.
► Sonication-assisted CBD (SSCBD) prevents CdS aggregating at the top of TNTAs.
► SSCBD promote the deposition quantity of nanoparticles into the TNTAs effectively.
► Compared with classical CBD, S-CdS/TNTAs cells exhibit an increase of η by 65.8%.