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One‐Step Fabrication of Unique Mesoporous NiO Hollow Sphere Film on FTO for High‐Performance P‐Type Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells
Author(s) -
Yang Hong Bin,
Liu Bin,
Khoo Si Yun,
Zhu Lin Nan,
Guo Chun Xian,
Dong Yong Qiang,
Li Chang Ming
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
advanced materials interfaces
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.671
H-Index - 65
ISSN - 2196-7350
DOI - 10.1002/admi.201300110
Subject(s) - photocathode , materials science , non blocking i/o , dye sensitized solar cell , energy conversion efficiency , mesoporous material , nanotechnology , tin oxide , electrolyte , chemical engineering , nanoparticle , optoelectronics , doping , electrode , biochemistry , chemistry , physics , electron , engineering , catalysis , quantum mechanics
P‐type dye sensitized solar cells (p‐DSCs) deliver much lower overall efficiency than their inverse model, n‐DSCs. However, they have fundamental and practical significance, in particular, their tandem structured solar cells with both p‐ and n‐photoelectrodes could offer great potential to significantly improve the efficiency of existing solar cells. A facile and environmentally friendly method is developed to directly one‐step grow hollow NiO spherical structures on fluorine‐doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate, in which a Ni 2+ and polymer complex spherical structure is self‐constructed through a controlled solvent evaporation process, followed by calcination‐converting to a unique NiO hollow sphere film. The prepared material is further used as a photocathode in p‐type dye sensitized solar cells, resulting in 41% increase of an open‐circuit voltage and 18% enhancement of power conversion efficiency than NiO nanoparticles photocathode. The improved performance can be ascribed to suppressed charge recombination at the photocathode/electrolyte interface. This template‐free approach could be universally used to fabricate other nanostructured hollow spheres for a wide range of energy conversion applications such as electrochemical capacitors, chemical sensors, and electrochromic devices.