Performance Comparison of Low Cost TiO2 and ZnO Solar Cells Sensitized with Coumarin C343

Authors N. Houri1, A. Djelloul1,2 , M. Adnane1
Affiliations

1Département de Technologie des Matériaux, Faculté de Physique, Université des Sciences et de la Technologie d’Oran Mohamed Boudiaf USTO-MB, BP 1505, El M'naouer, 31000 Oran, Algérie

2Centre de Recherche en Technologie des Semi-Conducteurs pour l’Energétique ‘CRTSE’ 02 Bd Frantz Fanon, BP 140, 7 Merveilles, Alger, Algérie

Е-mail djelloulcrtse@gmail.com
Issue Volume 12, Year 2020, Number 6
Dates Received 02 August 2020; revised manuscript received 17 December 2020; published online 25 December 2020
Citation N. Houri, A. Djelloul, M. Adnane, J. Nano- Electron. Phys. 12 No 6, 06004 (2020)
DOI https://doi.org/10.21272/jnep.12(6).06004
PACS Number(s) 84.60.Jt, 85.00, 73.00, 78.40.Me
Keywords DSSCs (3) , ZnO (88) , TiO2 (17) , Coumarin 343.
Annotation

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) based on TiO2 and ZnO nanoparticles using low cost organic dye Coumarin 343 (C343), carbon counter electrode and iodide electrolyte were fabricated and compared. The two types of thin films were deposited on the transparent conducting oxide substrates by doctor Blade technique. The morphological and structural properties of these thin films were studied using SEM and XRD. Current-voltage measurements were carried out to investigate the DSSCs photovoltaic efficiency. The comparative performance study shows that the cell with ZnO/C343 as the photo-anode produces higher short circuit current density (Jsc) and open circuit voltage (Voc), which leads to higher energy conversion efficiency than the cell with TiO2/C343 as the photo-anode. UV-Visible and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy studies revealed the better performance of ZnO cell due to higher light absorption and slower electron recombination compared to TiO2 solar cell.

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