One-dimensional (1D) ZnO nanowires dye sensitized solar cell

High ordered one-dimensional (1D) Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires were grown on FTO substrate by using the hydrothermal method. Nanowires structures were used as the wide band-gap semiconducting photo-electrode in dye sensitized solar cell (DSSCs). Solar cell made from ZnO nanowire at 50 nm radius and several tens micron lengths showed high solar conversion efficiency (η) of 2.1% and incident photon current efficiency (IPCE) 35% using nanowire/N719 dye/I ^-/I₃^- electrolyte. We also compared Ru N719 dye and N3 dye on ZnO nanowire against each other in respect to solar conversion efficiency and IPCE measurements. In the case of the N3 dye on ZnO nanowire conversion efficiency (3) of 1.32% and IPCE 23% were obtained under an illumination of 100 mW/cm². It was found that the performance of the Ru N719 dyes was better than about 50% that of the N3 dye in ZnO nanowire dye-sensitized solar cells.