Efficient CdSe quantum dot-sensitized solar cells prepared by an improved successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction process

Nano Lett. 2009 Dec;9(12):4221-7. doi: 10.1021/nl902438d.

Abstract

In pursuit of efficient quantum dot (QD)-sensitized solar cells based on mesoporous TiO(2) photoanodes, a new procedure for preparing selenide (Se(2-)) was developed and used for depositing CdSe QDs in situ over TiO(2) mesopores by the successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) process in ethanol. The sizes and density of CdSe QDs over TiO(2) were controlled by the number of SILAR cycles applied. After some optimization of these QD-sensitized TiO(2) films in regenerative photoelectrochemical cells using a cobalt redox couple [Co(o-phen)(3)(2+/3+)], including addition of a final layer of CdTe, over 4% overall efficiencies were achieved at 100 W/m(2) with about 50% IPCE at its maximum. Light-harvesting properties and transient voltage decay/impedance measurements confirmed that CdTe-terminated CdSe QD cells gave better charge-collection efficiencies and kinetic parameters than corresponding CdSe QD cells. In a preliminary study, a CdSe(Te) QD-sensitized TiO(2) film was combined with an organic hole conductor, spiro-OMeTAD, and shown to exhibit a promising efficiency of 1.6% at 100 W/m(2) in inorganic/organic hybrid all-solid-state cells.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adsorption
  • Cadmium Compounds / chemistry*
  • Crystallization / methods*
  • Electric Power Supplies*
  • Equipment Design
  • Equipment Failure Analysis
  • Ions
  • Macromolecular Substances / chemistry
  • Materials Testing
  • Molecular Conformation
  • Nanostructures / chemistry*
  • Nanostructures / ultrastructure*
  • Nanotechnology / instrumentation
  • Particle Size
  • Quantum Dots*
  • Selenium Compounds / chemistry*
  • Solar Energy*
  • Surface Properties

Substances

  • Cadmium Compounds
  • Ions
  • Macromolecular Substances
  • Selenium Compounds
  • cadmium selenide