Fabrication and Characterization of Dye Sensitized Solar Cells

Abstract

newline The rising global power demand has led extensive use of non-renewable energy resources for newlinegenerating electricity. Various critical issues such as climate change, pollution of air and newlinewater along with depletion of non-renewable energy resources have started showing their newlineadverse effect in a global scale. These critical issues can be addressed using the use of newlinesustainable and renewable energy resources. Solar energy which is cost-free, abundant and newlinenon-polluting can be tapped to meet the ever-growing demands of electricity. One of the newlinetechniques to harvest solar energy is solar photovoltaics, solar photovoltaic devices absorb newlinelight or photons to convert it into electricity. Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) is one of the newlinetechniques of fabricating devices which are comparatively cheaper and has potential to newlinebecome alternative to the silicon solar cells which is currently market leader in solar newlinephotovoltaic field. Although, the performance of these devices is still low due to factors such newlineas recombination, absorption and low stability in environmental conditions. In DSSCs photon newlineabsorption is done by the sensitizer material which gets excited from HOMO to LUMO, the newlineexcited sensitizer loses electron which diffuses to the semiconductor material, the sensitizer is newlinereduced back by the redox electrolyte. The electrolyte whereas gains the electron which flows newlinethrough the external circuit passing through the counter electrode. newlineThe performance of the DSSC devices primarily depends upon absorption of light as well as newlinegeneration and separation of charge carriers. For fabricating a good quality device newlinerecombination of charge carriers should be minimal. One of the crucial factors to avoid newlinerecombination is control on design and morphology of the device. We aimed to design newlinedevices with minimized recombination and novel natural sensitizers for better absorption.