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Neodymium doped titania as photoanode and graphene oxide–CuS composite as counter electrode material in quantum dot solar cell

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 November 2015

Laveena P. D'Souza ,
Sreeramareddygari Muralikrishna ,
Hunsur R. Chandan ,
Thippeswamy Ramakrishnappa  and
R. Geetha Balakrishna
Laveena P. D'Souza
Affiliation:
Center for Nano and Material Sciences, Jain University, Bangalore 562112, India
Sreeramareddygari Muralikrishna
Affiliation:
Center for Nano and Material Sciences, Jain University, Bangalore 562112, India
Hunsur R. Chandan
Affiliation:
Center for Nano and Material Sciences, Jain University, Bangalore 562112, India
Thippeswamy Ramakrishnappa
Affiliation:
Center for Nano and Material Sciences, Jain University, Bangalore 562112, India
R. Geetha Balakrishna*
Affiliation:
Center for Nano and Material Sciences, Jain University, Bangalore 562112, India
*
a)Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: br.geetha@jainuniversity.ac.in
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Abstract

The enhanced photoresponse of commercial TiO2 (C-TiO2) nanoparticles in quantum dot (QD) sensitized solar cells, when doped with neodymium (Nd), is explored for graphene oxide–copper sulphide (GO–CuS) composite material as counter electrode. The modification of C-TiO2 and the preparation of GO–CuS were done by solid state and sonication methods respectively. The same were characterized by spectroscopy, microscopy, and cyclic voltammetry techniques. Results clearly indicate an enhanced conversion efficiency of ∼1.6 times over the undoped C-TiO2. UV and reflectance spectroscopy reveal that the dopants/defects/oxygen vacancies create midbands causing favorable surface electron states which act as electron traps suppressing recombination and the same is later detrapped leading to an efficient electron transfer. The retention of anatase phase, increase in particle size and decrease in band gap energy to visible range together with high surface area imparted by the GO to CuS in counter electrode facilitate good light harvesting and rapid enhanced electron transfer to redox system on doping. These findings make Nd–TiO2 a good photoanode material and GO–CuS a good counter electrode in QD solar cells.

Keywords

Nd doped TiO2GO–CuS compositeCdSe quantum dotssolar cell
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 30 , Issue 21 , 13 November 2015 , pp. 3241 - 3251
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2015 

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Footnotes

Contributing Editor: Mauricio Terrones

References

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