SYNTHESIS OF Ag-DOPED ZnO NANOMATERIALS FOR DYE SENSITIZED SOLAR CELLS AND INVESTIGATION OF THE OPTIMUM Ag DOPING RATE

Year 2021, Volume: 4 Issue: 2, 104 - 123, 30.12.2021

Mesut Ekmekçi , Çağatay Ela Sule Erten Ela , Çağdaş Yavuz

https://doi.org/10.47137/uujes.1016758

Cited By: 2

Abstract

Silver (Ag) doped ZnO (SZO) nanomaterials were synthesized by hydrothermal method and characterized. ZnO nanostructures were doped with 0.0%, 0.5%, 1%, 1.5mol% Ag. These obtained SZO nanomaterials were analyzed using X-ray diffraction measurement (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Energy Dissipative X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The structural analysis confirmed the formation of synthesized SZO samples having a hexagonal ZnO wurtzite phase. The morphology of SZO samples changed partially and the ZnO nanorod length increased somewhat as the Ag doping ratio increased. Despite this increase, it was seen that the average crystal sizes first increased and then decreased. The crystallite sizes calculated from XRD data for 0.0, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5mol% SZO were obtained as 41, 42, 38 and 37 nm, respectively. Ag doping concentration has increased the absorbance of SZO nanomaterials increased and the transmission decreased was observed. The band gap of the 0.0%, 0.5%, 1.0% and 1.5mol% SZO nanomaterials were measured 3.19, 3.18, 3.16 and 3.19 eV, respectively. Then dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were fabricated using these SZO nanomaterials, Z907dye, N719 dye and examined their photovoltaic performances. The calculated efficiencies of DSSCs fabricated using Z907 dye for 0.0%, 0.5%, 1.0% and 1.5mol% SZO were 0.005, 0.51, 0.46 and 0.22%, respectively. Then the calculated efficiencies of DSSCs fabricated using N719 dye for 0.0%, 0.5%, 1.0% and 1.5mol% SZO were 0.06, 0.17, 0.07 and 0.06%, respectively. In both works, DSSCs with ZnO film doped with 0.5mol% SZO showed the best photovoltaic performance. Consequently, these results indicated that the synthesized SZO nanomaterial for DSSCs of the optimum ratio of Ag doping is 0.5mol% clearly.

Keywords

Silver (Ag) doped ZnO, ZnO films, dye sensitized solar cell, DSSC, photoanot

References

• Cao G. Nanostrucrures & Nanomaterials. University of Washington, 2005.
• Sass J. Nanotechnology’s Invisible Threat: Small Science, Big Consequences. Natural Resources Defense Council, 2007.
• Al-Hadeethi Y, Umar A, Ibrahim AA, Al-Heniti SH, Kumar R, Baskoutas S, Raffah BM. Synthesis, characterization and acetone gas sensing applications of Ag doped ZnO nanoneedles. Ceramics International, 2017; 43:6765–6770.
• Pat S, Mohammadigharehbagh R, Özen S, Şenay V, Yudar HH, Korkmaz Ş. The Al doping effect on the surface, optical, electrical and nanomechanical properties of the ZnO and AZO thin films prepared by RF sputtering technique. Vacuum, 2017; 141:210-215.
• Look DC. Recent advances in ZnO materials and devices. Materials Science and Engineering: B, 2001; 80:383–387.
• Sohn S, Kim HM. Transparent Conductive Oxide (TCO) Films for Organic Light Emissive Devices (OLEDs). Catholic University of Daegu Republic of Korea, 2011.
• Jafarzadeh M, Sipaut CS, Dayou J, Mansa RF. Recent progresses in solar cells: Insight into hollow micro/nano–structures. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2016; 64:543–568.
• Krämer A, Engel S, Sangiorgi N, Sanson A, Bartolomé JF, Gräf S, Müller FA. ZnO thin films on single carbon fibres fabricated by Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) Applied Surface Science. Applied Surface Science, 2017; 399:282–287.
• Nandi R, Major SS. The mechanism of growth of ZnO nanorods by reactive sputtering. Applied Surface Science, 2017; 399:305–312.
• Tzou AJ, Chien KF, Lai HY, Ku JT, Lee L, Fan WC, Chou WC. The study of self-assembled ZnO nanorods grown on Si (111) by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. Journal of Crystal Growth, 2013; 378:466–469.
• Sokovnin SY, Il’ves VG, Khrustov VR, Zuev MG. Investigation of properties of ZnO ceramics sintered from ZnO-Zn nanopowders produced by pulsed electron beam evaporation. Ceramics International, 2017; 43:10637–10644.
• Meléndrez MF, Solis-Pomar F, Gutierrez CD, Flores P, Jaramillo AF, Fundora A, Pérez-Tijerina E. A new synthesis route of ZnO nanonails via microwave plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition. Ceramics International, 2016; 42:1160–168.
• Hasnidawani JN, Azlina HN, Norita H, Bonnia NN, Ratim S, Ali ES. Synthesis of ZnO Nanostructures Using Sol-Gel Method. Procedia Chemistry, 2016; 19:211–216.
• Ekmekci M, Ela C, Erten-Ela S. Morphological characterization of aluminum-doped zinc oxide nanomaterials (AZO) for dye-sensitized solar cells. International Journal of Applied Ceramic Technology, 2019; 16(2):727–734. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijac.13113
• Premkumar T, Zhou YS, Gao Y, Baskar K, Jiang L, Lu YF. Morphological transition of ZnO nanostructures influenced by magnesium doping. Applied Surface Science, 2012; 258:2297–2300.
• Bernardo MS, Villanueva PG, Jardiel T, Calatayud DG, Peiteado M, Caballero AC. Ga-doped ZnO self-assembled nanostructures obtained by microwave-assisted hydrothermal synthesis: Effect on morphology and optical properties. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 2017; 722:920-927.
• Wu SP, Zhao QY, Zheng LQ, Ding XH. Behaviors of ZnO-doped silver thick film and silver grain growth mechanism. Solid State Sciences, 2011; 13:548-552.
• Kanimozhi G, Vinoth S, Kumar H, Srinadhu ES, Satyanarayana N. Electrospun Nanocomposite Ag–ZnO Nanofibrous Photoanode for Better Performance of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells. Journal of Electronic Materials, 2019; 48(7):4389–4399. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-019-07199-2
• Nguyen Q, Kwon J W. Silver nanowire-based transparent electrode as FTO replacement for dye-sensitized solar cell. International Nano Letters, 2019; 9(1):83–87. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40089-018-0258-y
• Coşkun B. Investigation of dielectric properties of Ag-doped ZnO thin films. Journal of Molecular Structure, 2020; 1209. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molstruc.2020.127970
• Liu WS, Wu SY, Hung CY, Tseng CH, Chang YL. Improving the optoelectronic properties of gallium ZnO transparent conductive thin films through titanium doping. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 2014; 616:268–274.
• Kadam AN, Kim TG, Shin DS, Garadkar KM, Park J. Morphological evolution of Cu doped ZnO for enhancement of photocatalytic activity. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 2017; 710:102-113.
• Wan X, Liang X, Zhang C, Li X, Liang W, Xu H, Lan S, Tie S. Morphology controlled syntheses of Cu-doped ZnO, tubular Zn(Cu)O and Ag decorated tubular Zn(Cu)O microcrystals for photocatalysis. Chemical Engineering Journal, 2015; 272:58–68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2015.02.089
• Murugadoss G. Synthesis and Characterization of Transition Metals Doped ZnO Nanorods, J. Mater. Sci. Technol, 2012; 28:587–593. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1005-0302(12)60102-9
• Ahmad M, Ahmad I, Ahmed E, Akhtar MS, Khalid NR. Facile and inexpensive synthesis of Ag doped ZnO/CNTs composite: Study on the efficient photocatalytic activity and photocatalytic mechanism. Journal of Molecular Liquids, 2020; 311:113326. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molliq.2020.113326
• Soumya S, Sheemol VN, Amba P, Mohamed AP, Ananthakumar S. Sn and Ag doped ZnO quantum dots with PMMA by in situ polymerization for UV/IR protective, photochromic multifunctional hybrid coatings. Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 2017; 174:554–565. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solmat.2017.09.051
• Rakhsha AH, Abdizadeh H, Pourshaban E, Golobostanfard MR, Mastelaro VR, Montazerian M. Ag and Cu doped ZnO nanowires: A pH-Controlled synthesis via chemical bath deposition. Materialia, 2019; 5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtla.2019.100212
• Padmavathy V, Sankar S. Influence of rare earth (La and Y) codoping on optical properties of ZnO:Ag nanograins. Optik, 2020; 220. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijleo.2020.165133
• Gusmão LA, Peixoto DA, Marinho JZ, Romeiro FC, Gonçalves R.F, Longo E, De Oliveira CA, Lima RC. Alkali influence on ZnO and Ag-doped ZnO nanostructures formation using the microwave-assisted hydrothermal method for fungicidal inhibition. Journal of Physics and Chemistry of Solids, 2021; 158:110234. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpcs.2021.110234
• Udom I, Zhang Y, Ram MK, Stefanakos EK, Hepp AF, Elzein R, Schlaf R, Goswami DY. A simple photolytic reactor employing Ag-doped ZnO nanowires for water purification. Thin Solid Films, 2014; 564:258–263.
• Kim KH, Jin Z, Abe Y, Kawamura M. Structural and optical properties of Cu-, Ag, and Al-doped zinc oxide nanorods. Superlattices and Microstructures, 2014; 75:455–460.
• Schematic-of-energy-level-diagram-and-electron-transfer-of-ITO-ZnO-TiO2-CdSe_fig6_260307381. [accessed 4 Mar, 2018]. https://www.researchgate.net
• Singh A, Mohan D, Ahlawat DS, Richa. Performances of spin coated silver doped ZnO photoanode based dye sensitized solar cell. Processing and Application of Ceramics, 2017 11(3):213–219. https://doi.org/10.2298/PAC1703213S
• Debye P. Scattering of X-rays. Ann. Phys., 1915; 351(6):809–823.
• Jeong SH, Park BN, Lee SB, Boo JH. Metal-doped ZnO thin films: Synthesis and characterizations. Surf. Coat. Tech., 2007; 201:5318–5322.
• Lim SP, Pandikumar A, Lim HN, Ramaraj R, Huangc NM, Boosting photovoltaic performance of dye- sensitized solar cells using silver nanoparticle-decorated N,S-co-doped-TiO2 photoanode. Sci. Reports, 2015; 5:1–12.