A short review on the advancement in the development of TiO2 and ZnO based photo-anodes for the application of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs)

Abstract

Abstract Population growth significantly expanding the boundaries of residential areas and living standards for humankind results in a tremendous increase in energy consumption. Unlike fossil fuels, which are found only in a few sites and non-renewable sources, solar energy is renewable and freely available in every part of the world. A dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) is a suitable electrochemical device to harness solar energy to produce power and is advantageous for its simplicity and inexpensive cost. Variations in photo-electrodes micro/nanostructure shape, doping, size, and crystal phase can improve the DSSCs performance by enhancing dye loading, improved light scattering ability, and/or faster electron transit and longer electron lifetime. The high yielding techniques for producing diverse morphologies for nanoparticles with appropriate band gaps might thus be considered another feasible strategy for improving cell performance. The impact of influencing parameters on photovoltaic characteristics of photo-anode for DSSC application is investigated in this review article. The descriptions are presented by compiling a list of relevant literature reports.