Studies on the adsorption of RuN3 dye on sheet-like nanostructured porous ZnO films

The interface between the ZnO and dye directly impacts the dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) performance. Nanostructured porous ZnO film was developed by a simple chemical solution process. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images demonstrated the uniform ZnO films with sheet-like nanostructure. Adsorption studies indicated that the maximum adsorption capacity of RuN3 dye on the surface of ZnO films was approximately 0.016 mmol RuN3/g ZnO films. Adsorption studies were conducted at 25 and 40 °C. The results showed that the dye adsorption was significantly influenced by temperatures. Moreover, the problem of the dye aggregation on the ZnO surface was reduced at higher adsorption temperatures. The adsorption chemistry was studied with Raman spectroscopy.