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Grafting and co-grafting of dyes on Cd-doped ZnS nanocrystals and their application on dye-sensitized solar cells

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Abstract

Herein, we report that an efficient nanohybrid material consists of Cd-doped ZnS nanocrystals (NCs), merocyanine and fullerene (C60-pyrrolidine tris acid). Cd-ZnS NCs serve as a substrate for supramolecular complexation between merocyanine 540 and fullerenes. The impact of grafting and co-grafting of dyes on the NCs surface was checked by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), photoluminescence and ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopic studies. Cd-doped ZnS NCs were synthesized by wet chemical approach and described by powdered X-ray diffraction, UV–Vis spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The grafted and co-grafted NCs were then used as an active blend in hybrid solar cells. The hybrid solar cell of grafted material blend (Cd-ZnS-MC540) shows the maximum short circuit current density 4.60 mA cm–2 and power conversion efficiency of 0.83%. The open circuit voltage, fill factors and cell conversion efficiency of all photovoltaic devices based on co-grafted Cd-doped ZnS NCs and P3HT decreases with the increase in concentration of donor and acceptor species. We note that by co-grafting, dye/dye interaction is replaced by dye/fullerene interaction but unfortunately co-grafting may have led to the formation of big clusters. Hence, the lack of morphological homogeneity may be held responsible for the weak performance of the solar cells.

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Acknowledgements

We are highly thankful to the Higher Education Commission, Pakistan, under project No-20/2329/NRPU/R&D/HEC/12 for financial support and Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, for providing laboratory and space facilities.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Basic Sciences, Sardar Bahadur Khan Women’s University, Quetta, 87300, Pakistan

    Uzma Jabeen

  2. Department of Chemistry, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, 45320, Pakistan

    Uzma Jabeen & Syed Mujtaba Shah

  3. Materials Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Mirpur University of Science and Technology (MUST), Mirpur, 10250, Pakistan

    Muhammad Aamir

  4. Department of Chemistry, Allama Iqbal Open University, Islamabad, 44000, Pakistan

    Iqbal Ahmad

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  1. Uzma Jabeen
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  2. Syed Mujtaba Shah
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  3. Muhammad Aamir
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  4. Iqbal Ahmad
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Correspondence to Muhammad Aamir.

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Jabeen, U., Shah, S.M., Aamir, M. et al. Grafting and co-grafting of dyes on Cd-doped ZnS nanocrystals and their application on dye-sensitized solar cells. Bull Mater Sci 44, 291 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12034-021-02575-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12034-021-02575-3

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