Hierarchically Structured ZnO Film for Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells with Enhanced Energy Conversion Efficiency
TL;DR: In this paper, zinc oxide (ZnO) has been explored as an alternative material in dye-sensitized solar cells with great potential, and the main reasons for this increase in research surrounding ZnO material include: 1) zinc oxide having a band gap similar to that for TiO2 at 3.2 eV, and 2) Znoxide having a much higher electron mobility ~ 115-155 cm2/Vs.
Abstract: The interest in dye-sensitized solar cells has increased due to reduced energy sources and higher energy production costs. For the most part, titania (TiO2) has been the material of choice for dye-sensitized solar cells and so far have shown to exhibit the highest overall light conversion efficiency ~ 11%.[1] However, zinc oxide (ZnO) has recently been explored as an alternative material in dye-sensitized solar cells with great potential.[2] The main reasons for this increase in research surrounding ZnO material include: 1) ZnO having a band gap similar to that for TiO2 at 3.2 eV,[3] and 2) ZnO having a much higher electron mobility ~ 115-155 cm2/Vs[4] than that for anatase titania (TiO2), which is reported to be ~ 10-5 cm2/Vs.[5] In addition, ZnO has a few advantages as the semiconductor electrode when compared to TiO2, including 1) simpler tailoring of the nanostructure as compared to TiO2, and 2) easier modification of the surface structure. These advantages[6] are thought to provide a promising means for improving the solar cell performance of the working electrode in dye-sensitized solar cells.
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TL;DR: The present review mainly focuses on NMOs' preparation, their physicochemical properties, adsorption characteristics and mechanism, as well as their application in heavy metal removal.
1,828 citations
Cites background from "Hierarchically Structured ZnO Film ..."
...As an environmental friendly material, ZnO can be used in catalyst industry [110,111], gas sensors [112], solar cells [113] and so on....
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TL;DR: In this article, a review of recent developments in the use of ZnO nanostructures for dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC) applications is presented.
Abstract: This Review focuses on recent developments in the use of ZnO nanostructures for dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC) applications. It is shown that carefully designed and fabricated nanostructured ZnO films are advantageous for use as a DSC photoelectrode as they offer larger surface areas than bulk film material, direct electron pathways, or effective light-scattering centers, and, when combined with TiO2, produce a core–shell structure that reduces the combination rate. The limitations of ZnO-based DSCs are also discussed and several possible methods are proposed so as to expand the knowledge of ZnO to TiO2, motivating further improvement in the power-conversion efficiency of DSCs.
1,627 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors show that hierarchical and hollow oxide nanostructures increase both the gas response and response speed simultaneously and substantially, which can be explained by the rapid and effective gas diffusion toward the entire sensing surfaces via the porous structures.
Abstract: Hierarchical and hollow oxide nanostructures are very promising gas sensor materials due to their high surface area and well-aligned nanoporous structures with a less agglomerated configurations. Various synthetic strategies to prepare such hierarchical and hollow structures for gas sensor applications are reviewed and the principle parameters and mechanisms to enhance the gas sensing characteristics are investigated. The literature data clearly show that hierarchical and hollow nanostructures increase both the gas response and response speed simultaneously and substantially. This can be explained by the rapid and effective gas diffusion toward the entire sensing surfaces via the porous structures. Finally, the impact of highly sensitive and fast responding gas sensors using hierarchical and hollow nanostructures on future research directions is discussed.
1,330 citations
TL;DR: A state-of-the-art review of the applications of hierarchically structured porous materials in energy conversion and storage is presented in this paper, where hierarchical porosity and structures have been heavily involved in newly developed energy storage and conversion systems, showing the importance of macrochannels in light related systems such as photocatalysis and photovoltaics.
Abstract: Materials with hierarchical porosity and structures have been heavily involved in newly developed energy storage and conversion systems. Because of meticulous design and ingenious hierarchical structuration of porosities through the mimicking of natural systems, hierarchically structured porous materials can provide large surface areas for reaction, interfacial transport, or dispersion of active sites at different length scales of pores and shorten diffusion paths or reduce diffusion effect. By the incorporation of macroporosity in materials, light harvesting can be enhanced, showing the importance of macrochannels in light related systems such as photocatalysis and photovoltaics. A state-of-the-art review of the applications of hierarchically structured porous materials in energy conversion and storage is presented. Their involvement in energy conversion such as in photosynthesis, photocatalytic H 2 production, photocatalysis, or in dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) and fuel cells (FCs) is discussed. Energy storage technologies such as Li-ions batteries, supercapacitors, hydrogen storage, and solar thermal storage developed based on hierarchically porous materials are then discussed. The links between the hierarchically porous structures and their performances in energy conversion and storage presented can promote the design of the novel structures with advanced properties.
784 citations
Book•
10 Nov 2017TL;DR: The limitations and challenges of nanostructured materials while being used for solar cells, lithium ion batteries, supercapacitors, and hydrogen storage systems have also been addressed in this review.
Abstract: Nanostructured materials are advantageous in offering huge surface to volume ratios, favorable transport properties, altered physical properties, and confinement effects resulting from the nanoscale dimensions, and have been extensively studied for energy-related applications such as solar cells, catalysts, thermoelectrics, lithium ion batteries, supercapacitors, and hydrogen storage systems. This review focuses on a few select aspects regarding these topics, demonstrating that nanostructured materials benefit these applications by (1) providing a large surface area to boost the electrochemical reaction or molecular adsorption occurring at the solid–liquid or solid–gas interface, (2) generating optical effects to improve optical absorption in solar cells, and (3) giving rise to high crystallinity and/or porous structure to facilitate the electron or ion transport and electrolyte diffusion, so as to ensure the electrochemical process occurs with high efficiency. It is emphasized that, to further enhance the capability of nanostructured materials for energy conversion and storage, new mechanisms and structures are anticipated. In addition to highlighting the obvious advantages of nanostructured materials, the limitations and challenges of nanostructured materials while being used for solar cells, lithium ion batteries, supercapacitors, and hydrogen storage systems have also been addressed in this review.
767 citations
References
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01 Jan 1956
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a chemical analysis of X-ray diffraction by Xray Spectrometry and phase-diagram Determination of single crystal structures and phase diagrams.
Abstract: 1. Properties of X-rays. 2. Geometry of Crystals. 3. Diffraction I: Directions of Diffracted Beams. 4. Diffraction II: Intensities of Diffracted Beams. 5. Diffraction III: Non-Ideal Samples. 6. Laure Photographs. 7. Powder Photographs. 8. Diffractometer and Spectrometer. 9. Orientation and Quality of Single Crystals. 10. Structure of Polycrystalline Aggregates. 11. Determination of Crystal Structure. 12. Precise Parameter Measurements. 13. Phase-Diagram Determination. 14. Order-Disorder Transformation. 15. Chemical Analysis of X-ray Diffraction. 16. Chemical Analysis by X-ray Spectrometry. 17. Measurements of Residual Stress. 18. Polymers. 19. Small Angle Scatters. 20. Transmission Electron Microscope.
17,428 citations
Journal Article•
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors look into the historical background, and present status and development prospects for photoelectrochemical cells, based on nanocrystalline materials and conducting polymer films.
Abstract: Until now, photovoltaics - the conversion of sunlight to electrical power - has been dominated by solid-state junction devices, often made of silicon. But this dominance is now being challenged by the emergence of a new generation of photovoltaic cells, based, for example, on nanocrystalline materials and conducting polymer films. These offer the prospect of cheap fabrication together with other attractive features, such as flexibility. The phenomenal recent progress in fabricating and characterizing nanocrystalline materials has opened up whole new vistas of opportunity. Contrary to expectation, some of the new devices have strikingly high conversion efficiencies, which compete with those of conventional devices. Here I look into the historical background, and present status and development prospects for this new generation of photoelectrochemical cells.
8,305 citations
TL;DR: This work introduces a version of the dye-sensitized cell in which the traditional nanoparticle film is replaced by a dense array of oriented, crystalline ZnO nanowires, which features a surface area up to one-fifth as large as a nanoparticle cell.
Abstract: Excitonic solar cells1—including organic, hybrid organic–inorganic and dye-sensitized cells (DSCs)—are promising devices for inexpensive, large-scale solar energy conversion. The DSC is currently the most efficient2 and stable3 excitonic photocell. Central to this device is a thick nanoparticle film that provides a large surface area for the adsorption of light-harvesting molecules. However, nanoparticle DSCs rely on trap-limited diffusion for electron transport, a slow mechanism that can limit device efficiency, especially at longer wavelengths. Here we introduce a version of the dye-sensitized cell in which the traditional nanoparticle film is replaced by a dense array of oriented, crystalline ZnO nanowires. The nanowire anode is synthesized by mild aqueous chemistry and features a surface area up to one-fifth as large as a nanoparticle cell. The direct electrical pathways provided by the nanowires ensure the rapid collection of carriers generated throughout the device, and a full Sun efficiency of 1.5% is demonstrated, limited primarily by the surface area of the nanowire array.
5,308 citations
Book•
03 Aug 2010TL;DR: The dye-sensitized solar cells (DSC) as discussed by the authors provides a technically and economically credible alternative concept to present day p-n junction photovoltaic devices, where light is absorbed by a sensitizer, which is anchored to the surface of a wide band semiconductor.
Abstract: The dye-sensitized solar cells (DSC) provides a technically and economically credible alternative concept to present day p–n junction photovoltaic devices. In contrast to the conventional systems where the semiconductor assume both the task of light absorption and charge carrier transport the two functions are separated here. Light is absorbed by a sensitizer, which is anchored to the surface of a wide band semiconductor. Charge separation takes place at the interface via photo-induced electron injection from the dye into the conduction band of the solid. Carriers are transported in the conduction band of the semiconductor to the charge collector. The use of sensitizers having a broad absorption band in conjunction with oxide films of nanocrstalline morphology permits to harvest a large fraction of sunlight. Nearly quantitative conversion of incident photon into electric current is achieved over a large spectral range extending from the UV to the near IR region. Overall solar (standard AM 1.5) to current conversion efficiencies (IPCE) over 10% have been reached. There are good prospects to produce these cells at lower cost than conventional devices. Here we present the current state of the field, discuss new concepts of the dye-sensitized nanocrystalline solar cell (DSC) including heterojunction variants and analyze the perspectives for the future development of the technology.
4,159 citations