Solar Cells Sensitized With Zinc Oxide Dye Modified With Aluminium Oxide

Abstract

In this paper, solar cells with ZnO electrode modified with Al2O3, were manufactured and characterized, through the sol gel process: the precursor used was Zinc Nitrate hexahydrate (Zn (NO3)2.6H2O) [0.1 M] and triethalonamine (TEA) [0.1M] was added with a heat treatment (100 °C) and later by precipitation, the ZnO nanoparticles were obtained.  They were then sensitized with the N719. The paste used to obtain the ZnO film is modified with Al2O3 in different percentages. This modification is achieved when the precursor (Al (NO3)3.9H2O) is added to the aqueous suspension of ZnO. For this procedure the following characterizations were made: (1) XRD to check the crystal lattice of ZnO; (2) SEM to observe the rod-like morphology of the sample and with an average grain size of 90 nm, the nanoporosity of the samples was also observed; (3) UV Vis to check the absorption spectrum of the dye that is in the visible region; (4) EDS to check the presence of Aluminium and Zinc, (5) IV to determine the efficiency of the cell (0.39%); (6) OCVD to determine electron life time as a function of voltage; (7) IPCE to measure quantum efficiency (maximum 13%); (8) FTIR to identify and verify the existence of functional groups in the cell; (9) EIS that allows the determination of the parameters: electron half-life, electron transport time, resistance of the ZnO/dye/electrolyte interface, resistance of the film capacitive behaviour of the cell, which are important data that allow knowing the chemical and electrochemical processes of the cells.