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Solvothermal growth of Zn2SnO4 for efficient dye-sensitized solar cells

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Abstract

Zn2SnO4 plates, particles and spheres are successfully prepared via a facile synthesis way by carefully adjusting the solvothermal conditions, which are further applied as photoanodes in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) to explore the relationships between the photoanode nanostructure and the photovoltaic performances. As a result, the DSSCs based on Zn2SnO4 spheres photoanode showcased the best power conversion efficiency (PCE, 4.85%), compared to Zn2SnO4 plates (3.80%) and particles (4.13%). It is found that Zn2SnO4 spheres exhibit the highest light-scattering abilities, as evidenced by ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) diffuse reflectance spectra. Additionally, investigations on dynamic electron transport and recombination properties via intensity-modulated photovoltage/photocurrent spectroscopy (IMVS/IMPS), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements demonstrate that the Zn2SnO4 spheres-based DSSCs possess the fastest electron transport rate, the longest electron lifetime, the highest electron collection efficiency (ηcc), and the largest charge recombination resistance, compared with the Zn2SnO4 plates and particles, all of which are highly beneficial for the powder conversion efficiency enhancements.

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摘要

采用简单的溶剂热方法合成Zn2SnO4材料, 通过调节实验条件, 成功制备出Zn2SnO4盘、颗粒和分等级球纳米材料, 进一步将其作为光阳极材料应用到染料敏化太阳能电池中, 研究光阳极材料结构与电池性能之间的关系。其中, 基于Zn2SnO4球作为光阳极材料时, 电池获得最高的光电转换效率(4.85%), 高于Zn2SnO4盘(3.80%)和Zn2SnO4颗粒(4.13%), 研究发现, 主要归因于Zn2SnO4球光阳极材料具有最好的光散射能力。进一步 用强度调制光电流、强度调制光电压技术和电化学阻抗技术来研究不同Zn2SnO4材料影响光电转换效率的机理。Zn2SnO4球与Zn2SnO4盘、颗粒材料相比, 具有最快的电子传输速率、最长的电子传输寿命、最高的电子收集效率和最大的复合阻抗, 这些对于提高其光电转换效率都是有益的。

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Acknowledgements

This study was financially supported by the Application Development Foundation of Guangzhou Lu Chao Science and Technology Company (No. 53H19044), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. U20A20238), the Talents Project of Beijing Municipal Committee Organization Department (No. 2018000021223ZK21) and the Key Research & Development and Transformation Projects in Qinghai Province (No. 2021-HZ-808).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Energy and Materials Engineering Centre, College of Physics and Materials Science, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, 300387, China

    Yu-Fen Wang, Hui Feng, Fei-Fei Xin & De-Jun Li

  2. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing, 100083, China

    Yi-Rui Deng, Zhuo-Fan Hu & Rui-Ping Liu

  3. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Alaska, 99775-5905, USA

    Lei Zhang

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  1. Yu-Fen Wang
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Correspondence to De-Jun Li or Rui-Ping Liu.

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Wang, YF., Feng, H., Deng, YR. et al. Solvothermal growth of Zn2SnO4 for efficient dye-sensitized solar cells. Rare Met. 41, 942–950 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12598-021-01820-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12598-021-01820-2

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