The preparation of ZnO-based dye-sensitized solar cells usingRhus,LinariaandPunica

Abstract

This paper focuses on fabricating zinc oxide (ZnO)-based dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) utilizing three types of dyes derived from Rhus, Linaria and Punica flowers. The zinc oxide thin films were prepared on tin-doped indium oxide-coated glass substrates at 70°C according to the successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction method. Organic sensitizers were extracted from Rhus, Linaria and Punica flowers using the solvent ethanol. The fabricated solar cells were characterized by using the X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy and Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy techniques. The maximum photovoltaic values were obtained from the zinc oxide/Linaria-based DSSC, which exhibits a current density (Jsc) of 0.328 mA/cm–2, an open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 1 V, a fill factor of 64% and an energy conversion efficiency (η) of 0.210%, despite being the thinnest, at 1.381 μm, among all the DSSCs studied in this work. EDS analysis indicated that the weight contribution of oxygen for the Linaria DSSC is 53.30%, and this value is higher than those for Rhus and Punica DSSCs. The results suggest that the Linaria dye sensitizer can be a good candidate for minimizing the thickness of photoelectrode films and improving the performance of DSSCs.