Comparison of different vertically aligned ZnO nanostructures in excitonic solar cells: nanorods, nanocore-shells and nanotrees
Trabajo presentado como comunicación al "III Photonic and Cell Technologies for Solar Energy Conversion" celebrado del 14 al 16 de Agosto del 2012 en San Diego (USA).-- et al. ; In this work we present the synthesis and photovoltaic application of four different vertically-aligned ZnO nanostructured electrodes: ZnO nanorods prepared by the a) low-temperature hydrothermal method (LT-HM) and the b) autoclave method (A-HM), c) ZnO nanotrees (NTs) and d) ZnO core-shell NRs with an indium sulfide layer as the shell (CS). The electrodes have been applied in Dye sensitized solar cells (DSCs) and Polymer solar cells (PSCs). The photovoltaic properties of each type of nanostructured electrode were optimized separately. Our results show that the optimal power conversion efficiency depends in great extent on NR dimensions (length and diameter) and the final ZnO nanostructure. In this respect, we have observed an increase in power conversion efficiency when the NR nanostructure is modified as follows: ZnO NRs LT-HM < A-HM < NT< CS for Dye semnsitized solar cells. In the case of PSCs the best power conversion efficiency was obtained for the CS sample. ; To the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, MICINN for the projects ENE2008-04373 and the FPI scholarship EEBB-2011-44415 awarded to I.G.-V. To the Consolider NANOSELECT project (CSD2007-00041) and to the Xarxa de Referència en Materials Avançats per a l'Energia, XaRMAE (Reference Center for Advanced Materials for Energy) of the Catalonia Government. ; Peer reviewed