One-pot synthesis of intercalating ZnO nanoparticles for enhanced dye-sensitized solar cells

In this letter we report a facile one-pot synthesis of intercalated ZnO particles for inexpensive, low-temperature solution processed dye-sensitised solar cells. High interconnectivity facilitates enhanced charge transfer between the ZnO nanoparticles and a consequent enhancement in cell efficiency. ZnO thin films were formed from a wide range of nanoparticle diameters which simultaneously increased optical scattering whilst enhancing dye loading. A possible growth mechanism was proposed for the synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles. The intercalated ZnO nanoparticle thin films were integrated into the photoanodes of dye-sensitised solar cells which showed an increase in performance of 37% compared to structurally equivalent cells employing ZnO nanowires.

Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slideHighlights► One-pot synthesis of intercalated ZnO nanoparticles for dye-sensitised solar cell applications. ► Large 300 nm ZnO particles were embedded within the intercalation providing light scattering. ► Outperformed ZnO nanowire based dye-sensitised solar cell