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Asymmetric ZnO Panel‐Like Hierarchical Architectures with Highly Interconnected Pathways for Free‐Electron Transport and Photovoltaic Improvements
Author(s) -
Shi Yantao,
Zhu Chao,
Wang Lin,
Li Wei,
Fung Kwok Kwong,
Wang Ning
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
chemistry – a european journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.687
H-Index - 242
eISSN - 1521-3765
pISSN - 0947-6539
DOI - 10.1002/chem.201202527
Subject(s) - materials science , photovoltaic system , annealing (glass) , composite number , nanotechnology , dye sensitized solar cell , electron transport chain , nanostructure , nanocrystal , energy conversion efficiency , chemical engineering , optoelectronics , electrode , composite material , chemistry , electrical engineering , biochemistry , electrolyte , engineering
Through a rapid and template‐free precipitation approach, we synthesized an asymmetric panel‐like ZnO hierarchical architecture (PHA) for photoanodes of dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSCs). The two sides of the PHA are constructed differently using densely interconnected, mono‐crystalline and ultrathin ZnO nanosheets. By mixing these PHAs with ZnO nanoparticles (NPs), we developed an effective and feasible strategy to improve the electrical transport and photovoltaic performance of the composite photoanodes of DSCs. The highly crystallized and interconnected ZnO nanosheets largely minimized the total grain boundaries within the composite photoanodes and thus served as direct pathways for the transport and effective collection of free electrons. Through low‐temperature (200 °C) annealing, these novel composite photoanodes achieved high conversion efficiencies of up to 5.59 % for ZnO‐based quasi‐solid DSCs.