Back close

Ag@Nb2O5 Plasmonic Blocking Layer for Higher Efficiency Dye-sensitized Solar Cells

Publication Type : Journal Article

Thematic Areas : Nanosciences and Molecular Medicine

Publisher : Dalton Trans.

Source : Dalton Trans., The Royal Society of Chemistry, Volume 47, p.4685-4700 (2018)

Url : http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/C7DT04825D

Campus : Kochi

School : Center for Nanosciences

Center : Amrita Center for Nanosciences and Molecular Medicine Move, Nanosciences

Department : Nanosciences and Molecular Medicine

Year : 2018

Abstract : Engineering photons on a nanoscale via guidance and localization by metal nanostructures has a profound influence on the performance of devices that try to mimic the process of photosynthesis. The conventional route for the synthesis of plasmonic nanoparticles and their integration into the porous structure of the photoanode either directly or after being capped with a dielectric material not only adds to the complexity but also to the cost of the cell. The present study introduces the concept of a plasmonic blocking layer that concurrently acts as a light harvester and an electron-blocking layer in a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC){,} wherein the plasmonic silver nanoparticles are incorporated into an Nb2O5 blocking layer by a simple one-step process. The cell with the plasmonic blocking layer achieves an efficiency of 9.24% when compared with a cell with a non-plasmonic blocking layer (7.6%){,} registering an impressive enhancement in the efficiency by 22%. Moreover{,} the cell with the plasmonic blocking layer shows an improvement in the efficiency by 49% when compared with the cell without a blocking layer (6.19%).

Cite this Research Publication : S. Suresh, Unni, G. E., Satyanarayana, M., A. Nair, S., and Pillai, V. P. Mahadev, “Ag@Nb2O5 Plasmonic Blocking Layer for Higher Efficiency Dye-sensitized Solar Cells”, Dalton Trans., vol. 47, pp. 4685-4700, 2018.

Admissions Apply Now