Photoelectric Properties of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells by the Incorporation of Zinc Oxide Quantum Dots

Quantum dots (QDs) sensitized solar cells have emerged as a promising photovoltaic technology for next-generation solar cells due to the unique optoelectronic properties of QDs light-harvesting materials. TiO2 is the conventional electron transport material used in DSSCs; its synthesis requires high temperatures and has a bandgap almost identical to that of ZnO. However, because ZnO has a greater bulk electron mobility than TiO2, it enables faster bulk electron transport in a ZnO photoanode, which may result in efficient electron extraction. In this work, ZnO QDs were synthesized in this study using a self-assembly method involving zinc acetate dihydrate solution and methanol solution. SEM, XRD, and UV – Visible spectroscopy were used to characterize the thin film of ZnO QDs. Finally, dye-sensitized solar cells incorporating quantum dots were fabricated using a variety of different preparation processes in order to determine the device's efficiency.