Hybrid structure of polyaniline/ZnO nanograss and its application in dye-sensitized solar cell with performance improvement

Journal Article · Fri Jun 15 00:00:00 EDT 2012 · Journal of Solid State Chemistry

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JSSC.2012.02.028· OSTI ID:22012143

Shibu, Zhu; Wei, Wei; Xiangnan, Chen ^[1]

---

1. Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies of Materials (Ministry of Education), School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, 610031 (China)

Polyaniline (PANI) hybridized ZnO photoanode for dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) was primarily prepared via a two-step process which involved hydrothermal growth of ZnO nanograss on the fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate and subsequently chemisorption of PANI on the surfaces of the ZnO nanorods. The PANI hybridized ZnO nanograss films were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectra (FT-IR), and the results indicated that there were chemical interactions between PANI and ZnO. Both pure ZnO nanograss and PANI hybridized ZnO nanograss were applied to DSSC. The results of photoelectrochemical measurement showed that the photocurrent density of PANI (100 mg/L) hybridized ZnO nanograss photoanode was significantly enhanced, and the overall light-conversion efficiency increased by 60%. The electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS) displayed that the electron densities in photoanodes of PANI hybridized ZnO nanograss were larger than that in pure ZnO nanograss. This is ascribed to more effective charge separation and faster interfacial charge transferring occurred in the hybrid photoanode. - Graphical abstract: Operational principle of the DSSC: the introduced hybridizing PANI layer performs effective charge separation and faster interfacial charge transferring. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer PANI/ZnO nanograss hybrid materials as photoanode in Dye-sensitized solar cell. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Photoelectric conversion efficiency after hybridization was enhanced by 60%. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer PANI hybridizing ZnO nanograss induced a rapid charge separation.

• OSTI ID: 22012143
• Journal Information: Journal of Solid State Chemistry, Vol. . 190; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2012 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0022-4596
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
CHEMISORPTION
DOPED MATERIALS
DYES
EFFECTIVE CHARGE
EFFICIENCY
FLUORINE
FOURIER TRANSFORMATION
HYBRIDIZATION
INFRARED SPECTRA
INTERACTIONS
LAYERS
NANOSTRUCTURES
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
SOLAR CELLS
SUBSTRATES
SURFACES
TIN OXIDES
X-RAY DIFFRACTION
ZINC OXIDES