Novel bilayer structure ZnO based photoanode for enhancing conversion efficiency in dye-sensitized solar cells

ZnO film with a novel bilayer structure, which consists of ZnO nanowire (ZnO NW) arrays as underlayer and polydisperse ZnO nanocrystallite aggregates (ZnO NCAs) as overlayer, is fabricated and studied as dye-sensitized solar-cell (DSSC) photoanode. Results indicate that such a configuration of the ZnO nanocrystallite aggregates on the ZnO nanowire arrays (ZnO-(NCAs/NWs)) can significantly improve the efficiency of the DSSC due to its fast electron transport, relatively high surface area and enhanced light-scattering capability. The short-circuit current density (Jsc) and the energy-conversion efficiency (η) of the DSSC based on the ZnO-(NCAs/NWs) photoanode are estimated and the values are 9.19 mA cm−2 and 3.02%, respectively, which are much better than those of the cells formed only by the ZnO NWs (Jsc = 4.02 mA cm−2, η = 1.04%) or the ZnO NCAs (Jsc = 7.14 mA cm−2, η = 2.56%) photoanode. Moreover, the electron transport properties of the DSSC based on the ZnO-(NCAs/NWs) photoanode are also discussed.

► The ZnO nanocrystallite aggregates on the ZnO nanowire arrays (ZnO-(NCAs/NWs)) photoanode are successfully fabricated. ► Results indicate that such a configuration of the ZnO-(NCAs/NWs) photoanode can significantly improve the efficiency of the DSSC. ► The electron transport properties of the DSSC based on the ZnO-(NCAs/NWs) photoanode is discussed deeply.