Sheaf-like-ZnO@Ag nanocomposite materials modified photoanode for low-cost metal-free organic dye-sensitized solid-state solar cells

Sheaf-like-ZnO-Ag nanocomposite material (sheaf-like-(ZnO@Ag)(NCM)) was prepared and used as photoanode in dye-sensitized solar cell. Eosin-Y adsorbed photoanode was employed, and the overall efficiency (g) was found to be 1.39% under standard AM 1.5G simulated solar irradiation (100 mWcm(-2)) which is similar to 2-fold higher than that of ZnO nanorods (ZnO NRs), owing to the presence of an effective interfacial charge transfer processes through the Ag from the excited state of eosin-Y to ZnO. The obtained efficiency is also compared to the sensitized with N719, whose efficiency (1.8%) is similar to 30% higher than that of the cells sensitized with eosin-Y. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4748287]