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Binary Indium–Zinc Oxide Photoanodes for Efficient Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells
Author(s) -
Kunzmann Andreas,
Stanzel Melanie,
Peukert Wolfgang,
Costa Rubén D.,
Guldi Dirk M.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
advanced energy materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.08
H-Index - 220
eISSN - 1614-6840
pISSN - 1614-6832
DOI - 10.1002/aenm.201501075
Subject(s) - materials science , dye sensitized solar cell , indium , optoelectronics , zinc , oxide , electrode , energy conversion efficiency , current density , dielectric spectroscopy , layer (electronics) , electrochemistry , nanotechnology , electrolyte , metallurgy , chemistry , physics , quantum mechanics
The benefits of incorporating binary metal‐oxide electrodes en route toward efficient dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have recently emerged. The current work aims at realizing efficient indium‐doped zinc oxide based DSSCs by means of enhancing charge transport processes and reducing recombination rates. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopic assays corroborate that low amounts of indium reduce charge transport resistances and increase electron recombination resistances. The latter are in concert with a remarkable enhancement of the charge collection efficiency from 33% to 83% for devices with ZnO and In 15 Zn 85 O photoanodes, respectively. Going beyond 15 mol% of indium, an effective electron trapping increases the charge transport resistance and, in turn, dramatically reduces charge collection efficiency. Upon implementing In 15 Zn 85 O into an electron cascade photoanode architecture featuring an In 15 Zn 85 O bottom layer and a ZnO top layer, a device efficiency of 5.77% and a significantly high current density of 20.4 mA cm −2 in binary ZnO DSSCs are achieved.