Design and fabrication of metal oxides graphene hybrid framework for DSSC applications

Abstract

As worldwide energy demand increases, conventional energy resources such as fossil fuels will be exhausted within the next century. The development and use of alternative energy source are essential to meet the energy demand. Consequent to the scarcity of fossil fuels and its effects on environment, most of the countries seeking for an eco-friendly energy source. Solar energy can potentially play an important role in providing most of the heating, cooling and electricity needs of the world. Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSC s) as compared to conventional photovoltaic draws considerable attention to meet future solar energy market because of its simple preparation procedure, environmental compatibility and reasonable performance. In DSSC s, photo anode is an important component for photon absorption and electron transport. The photo anode is prepared on Transparent Conductive Oxide (TCO) glass substrates with wide band gap materials with a porous nature. The photo anode is comprised of semiconductor nanoparticles to increase anchoring of more dye molecules results in more absorption of light thus more photocurrent generation. Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSC s) based on metal oxide semiconductors and organic dyes have recently emerged as a promising approach to efficient solar energy conversion at a low cost. The metal oxide semiconductors such as (Sc, Ni, Cr, V, Cu, Ti, Zn) viz. TiO2 are the best candidates as photo anode because of the dissimilarity in the electronic configuration of shells. The dissimilarity in the VB and CB decreases the charge recombination in the device and improve the charge carrier lifetime. Semiconductor oxides formed by hybrid structures and the addition of carbon-based materials such as Carbon Nanofibers (CNFs) can also extend the lifetime of electron/hole pairs and prevent their recombination. Graphene is widely investigated solar cell applications due to their unique physical, chemical, and electronic properties. newline