The role of crystallinity of the Nb2O5 blocking layer on the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells

Sankarapanicker Suresh; Thrithamarassery Gangadharan Deepak; Chengsheng Ni; Chandrasekharan Nair Omanaamma Sreekala; Malladi Satyanarayana; A. Sreekumaran Nair; Vellara Pappukkuty Pillai Mahadevan Pillai

doi:10.1039/C6NJ01133K

The role of crystallinity of the Nb₂O₅blocking layer on the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells

Sankarapanicker Suresh, Thrithamarassery Gangadharan Deepak, Chengsheng Ni, Chandrasekharan Nair Omanaamma Sreekala, Malladi Satyanarayana, A. Sreekumaran Nair, Vellara Pappukkuty Pillai Mahadevan Pillai

School of Chemistry

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The prevention of back electron transfer by inserting an energy barrier layer at the interface of a photo-anode is an effective method for improving the photovoltaic parameters in dye sensitised solar cells (DSSCs). In this study, phase a modified Nb₂O₅ blocking layer was inserted at the fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO)/TiO₂ interface via a Rf magnetron sputtering process. For a critical tunnelling distance of -40 nm, the crystalline Nb₂O₅ blocking layer improved the efficiency close to 7% and outperformed the amorphous blocking layer by about 68%. The longer electron lifetime observed in DSSCs containing an inhomogeneous Nb₂O₅ layer indicates that trapping/de-trapping impedes the discharge of electrons to the TiO₂ band edge. The origin of the longer electron lifetime is explained by formulating a theory from photovoltage decay measurements.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	6228-6237
Journal	New Journal of Chemistry
Volume	40
Issue number	7
Early online date	2 May 2016
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1039/C6NJ01133K
Publication status	Published - 1 Jul 2016

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10.1039/C6NJ01133K

Cite this

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title = "The role of crystallinity of the Nb2O5 blocking layer on the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells",

abstract = "The prevention of back electron transfer by inserting an energy barrier layer at the interface of a photo-anode is an effective method for improving the photovoltaic parameters in dye sensitised solar cells (DSSCs). In this study, phase a modified Nb2O5 blocking layer was inserted at the fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO)/TiO2 interface via a Rf magnetron sputtering process. For a critical tunnelling distance of -40 nm, the crystalline Nb2O5 blocking layer improved the efficiency close to 7% and outperformed the amorphous blocking layer by about 68%. The longer electron lifetime observed in DSSCs containing an inhomogeneous Nb2O5 layer indicates that trapping/de-trapping impedes the discharge of electrons to the TiO2 band edge. The origin of the longer electron lifetime is explained by formulating a theory from photovoltage decay measurements.",

author = "Sankarapanicker Suresh and Deepak, {Thrithamarassery Gangadharan} and Chengsheng Ni and Sreekala, {Chandrasekharan Nair Omanaamma} and Malladi Satyanarayana and Nair, {A. Sreekumaran} and Pillai, {Vellara Pappukkuty Pillai Mahadevan}",

note = "Mr S. Suresh thanks the University Grants Commission, New Delhi, India for granting the teacher fellowship through the faculty development programme. T. G. Deepak, C. O. Sreekala and A. S. Nair thank the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) for financial support.",

year = "2016",

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doi = "10.1039/C6NJ01133K",

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T1 - The role of crystallinity of the Nb2O5 blocking layer on the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells

AU - Suresh, Sankarapanicker

AU - Deepak, Thrithamarassery Gangadharan

AU - Ni, Chengsheng

AU - Sreekala, Chandrasekharan Nair Omanaamma

AU - Satyanarayana, Malladi

AU - Nair, A. Sreekumaran

AU - Pillai, Vellara Pappukkuty Pillai Mahadevan

N1 - Mr S. Suresh thanks the University Grants Commission, New Delhi, India for granting the teacher fellowship through the faculty development programme. T. G. Deepak, C. O. Sreekala and A. S. Nair thank the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) for financial support.

PY - 2016/7/1

Y1 - 2016/7/1

N2 - The prevention of back electron transfer by inserting an energy barrier layer at the interface of a photo-anode is an effective method for improving the photovoltaic parameters in dye sensitised solar cells (DSSCs). In this study, phase a modified Nb2O5 blocking layer was inserted at the fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO)/TiO2 interface via a Rf magnetron sputtering process. For a critical tunnelling distance of -40 nm, the crystalline Nb2O5 blocking layer improved the efficiency close to 7% and outperformed the amorphous blocking layer by about 68%. The longer electron lifetime observed in DSSCs containing an inhomogeneous Nb2O5 layer indicates that trapping/de-trapping impedes the discharge of electrons to the TiO2 band edge. The origin of the longer electron lifetime is explained by formulating a theory from photovoltage decay measurements.

AB - The prevention of back electron transfer by inserting an energy barrier layer at the interface of a photo-anode is an effective method for improving the photovoltaic parameters in dye sensitised solar cells (DSSCs). In this study, phase a modified Nb2O5 blocking layer was inserted at the fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO)/TiO2 interface via a Rf magnetron sputtering process. For a critical tunnelling distance of -40 nm, the crystalline Nb2O5 blocking layer improved the efficiency close to 7% and outperformed the amorphous blocking layer by about 68%. The longer electron lifetime observed in DSSCs containing an inhomogeneous Nb2O5 layer indicates that trapping/de-trapping impedes the discharge of electrons to the TiO2 band edge. The origin of the longer electron lifetime is explained by formulating a theory from photovoltage decay measurements.

U2 - 10.1039/C6NJ01133K

DO - 10.1039/C6NJ01133K

M3 - Article

SN - 1144-0546

VL - 40

SP - 6228

EP - 6237

JO - New Journal of Chemistry

JF - New Journal of Chemistry

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