Novel Zn-Sn-O nanocactus with excellent transport properties as photoanode material for high performance dye-sensitized solar cells

Xincun Dou; Nripan Mathews; Qing Wang; Stevin Snellius Pramana; Yeng Ming Lam; Subodh Mhaisalkar

doi:10.1039/c1nr11083g

Novel Zn-Sn-O nanocactus with excellent transport properties as photoanode material for high performance dye-sensitized solar cells

Xincun Dou^*, Nripan Mathews, Qing Wang, Stevin Snellius Pramana, Yeng Ming Lam, Subodh Mhaisalkar

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

15 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

A novel chemically stable Zn-Sn-O nanocactus structure has been synthesized for the first time using a hydrothermal method. The Zn-Sn-O nanocactus structure comprises a Zn poor-Zn ₂SnO ₄ plate and Zn-doped SnO ₂ nanothorns growing on the plate, both of which have high electron mobilities. The nanocactus is used as the photoanode of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The overall power conversion efficiency (PCE) for the Zn-Sn-O nanocactus film reaches 2.21%, which is twice the previous reported efficiency of pure SnO ₂. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements show that the Zn-Sn-O nanocactus film has a good effective diffusion length and high intrinsic electron mobility. After TiCl ₄ treatment of the Zn-Sn-O nanocactus film, the current density increases nearly three times and the PCE increases to 6.62%, which compares favourably with the P25 DSSCs (6.97%) and is much higher than that of the SnO ₂ (1.04%) or Zn ₂SnO ₄ (3.7%)-based DSSCs.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	4640-4646
Number of pages	7
Journal	Nanoscale
Volume	3
Issue number	11
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1039/c1nr11083g
Publication status	Published - Nov 2011
Externally published	Yes

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

General Materials Science

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title = "Novel Zn-Sn-O nanocactus with excellent transport properties as photoanode material for high performance dye-sensitized solar cells",

abstract = "A novel chemically stable Zn-Sn-O nanocactus structure has been synthesized for the first time using a hydrothermal method. The Zn-Sn-O nanocactus structure comprises a Zn poor-Zn 2SnO 4 plate and Zn-doped SnO 2 nanothorns growing on the plate, both of which have high electron mobilities. The nanocactus is used as the photoanode of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The overall power conversion efficiency (PCE) for the Zn-Sn-O nanocactus film reaches 2.21%, which is twice the previous reported efficiency of pure SnO 2. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements show that the Zn-Sn-O nanocactus film has a good effective diffusion length and high intrinsic electron mobility. After TiCl 4 treatment of the Zn-Sn-O nanocactus film, the current density increases nearly three times and the PCE increases to 6.62%, which compares favourably with the P25 DSSCs (6.97%) and is much higher than that of the SnO 2 (1.04%) or Zn 2SnO 4 (3.7%)-based DSSCs.",

author = "Xincun Dou and Nripan Mathews and Qing Wang and Pramana, {Stevin Snellius} and Lam, {Yeng Ming} and Subodh Mhaisalkar",

year = "2011",

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AU - Dou, Xincun

AU - Mathews, Nripan

AU - Wang, Qing

AU - Pramana, Stevin Snellius

AU - Lam, Yeng Ming

AU - Mhaisalkar, Subodh

PY - 2011/11

Y1 - 2011/11

N2 - A novel chemically stable Zn-Sn-O nanocactus structure has been synthesized for the first time using a hydrothermal method. The Zn-Sn-O nanocactus structure comprises a Zn poor-Zn 2SnO 4 plate and Zn-doped SnO 2 nanothorns growing on the plate, both of which have high electron mobilities. The nanocactus is used as the photoanode of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The overall power conversion efficiency (PCE) for the Zn-Sn-O nanocactus film reaches 2.21%, which is twice the previous reported efficiency of pure SnO 2. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements show that the Zn-Sn-O nanocactus film has a good effective diffusion length and high intrinsic electron mobility. After TiCl 4 treatment of the Zn-Sn-O nanocactus film, the current density increases nearly three times and the PCE increases to 6.62%, which compares favourably with the P25 DSSCs (6.97%) and is much higher than that of the SnO 2 (1.04%) or Zn 2SnO 4 (3.7%)-based DSSCs.

AB - A novel chemically stable Zn-Sn-O nanocactus structure has been synthesized for the first time using a hydrothermal method. The Zn-Sn-O nanocactus structure comprises a Zn poor-Zn 2SnO 4 plate and Zn-doped SnO 2 nanothorns growing on the plate, both of which have high electron mobilities. The nanocactus is used as the photoanode of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The overall power conversion efficiency (PCE) for the Zn-Sn-O nanocactus film reaches 2.21%, which is twice the previous reported efficiency of pure SnO 2. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements show that the Zn-Sn-O nanocactus film has a good effective diffusion length and high intrinsic electron mobility. After TiCl 4 treatment of the Zn-Sn-O nanocactus film, the current density increases nearly three times and the PCE increases to 6.62%, which compares favourably with the P25 DSSCs (6.97%) and is much higher than that of the SnO 2 (1.04%) or Zn 2SnO 4 (3.7%)-based DSSCs.

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Novel Zn-Sn-O nanocactus with excellent transport properties as photoanode material for high performance dye-sensitized solar cells

Abstract

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