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Morphological and electron mobility studies in nanograss In2O3 DSSC incorporating multi-walled carbon nanotubes

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Abstract

In2O3and In2O3-MWCNTs, thin films were prepared by means of sol-gel spin coating technique for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The morphological characteristics of In2O3 and In2O3-MWCNT thin films were studied via atomic force microscopy (AFM) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The porous and rough surface structure of nanograss In2O3 increased the surface area for improved dye loading. The low photovoltage issue in In2O3-based DSSCs was addressed by the incorporation of MWCNTs. The bandgap decreased when In2O3 was incorporated with MWCNTs. The presence of MWCNTs in the thin film caused the fermi level (EF) to shift upward and this leads to a larger energy gap between EF and the iodine redox level (EREDOX) that results in higher photovoltage. The In2O3-MWCNT-based DSSCs exhibited better photovoltaic performance than In2O3-based DSSC with photovoltaic efficiency of 1.29 and 0.14 %, respectively. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS unit) supported the photovoltaic performance by quantifying that the In2O3-MWCNT thin films provide more efficient charge transfer with the lowest effective recombination rate and high electron lifetime, hence improving the performance of DSSCs.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Exploratory Research Grants Scheme (ERGS/1/2013/TK07/UKM/03/2) and Photonic Technology Laboratory, Institute of Microengineering and Nanoelectronics (IMEN), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electrical, Electronic and System Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia

    S. Mahalingam & H. Abdullah

  2. Institute of Microengineering and Nanoelectrics, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia

    S. Shaari

  3. Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia

    A. Muchtar

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  1. S. Mahalingam
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Correspondence to H. Abdullah.

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Mahalingam, S., Abdullah, H., Shaari, S. et al. Morphological and electron mobility studies in nanograss In2O3 DSSC incorporating multi-walled carbon nanotubes. Ionics 22, 1985–1997 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11581-016-1724-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11581-016-1724-z

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