Improvement of Photovoltaic Performance of Dye Sensitized Solar Cells by Pre-Dye Treating of Zno Nanoparticles

Abstract

Dye sensitized solar cells (DSSC) were fabricated using Rose Bengal dye. Pure and pre-dye treated Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles were used to fabricate the photoanodes of two cells. The structural characteristics of ZnO nanoparticles were studied using X-ray diffraction analysis and the surface morphology by Scanning electron microscopy. The absorption property of the dye was studied using UV-VIS spectra. The pre-dye treatment has improved the properties of ZnO, such as reduced agglomeration, improved morphology, increased dye adsorption and reduced dye aggregation. Photovoltaic parameters like short circuit current density (JSC), open circuit voltage (VOC), fill factor (FF) and overall energy conversion efficiencies (η) for the conventional and pre-dye treated ZnO based fabricated cells were calculated to be 3.73 mA/cm2, 0.53 V, 0.63 and 1.26 % and 4.47 mA/cm2, 0.55 V, 0.62 and respectively. The pre-dye treated DSSC showed an improvement in short circuit current density (Jsc) by 19.84% and efficiency (η) by 21.43 %.